Kunoichi Kiss
by Pisceskat
Summary: Slight AU based on Ultimania Original Concept and set during the time of Crisis Core and Before Crisis. With the Wutai War nearing its end, the aging Hierarch of Wutai gives 16 year old Yuffie a mission she can't refuse: Infiltrate the ranks of SOLDIER.
1. Meetings

_Synopsis: This is an AU in which Yuffie Kisaragi actually follows her original concept. I got the idea for this story while digging into some Final Fantasy 7 history. According to the FF7 10th Anniversary Ultimania, Yuffie was initially envisioned as a 25-year-old bounty hunter seeking Cloud and Sephiroth, and she in turn had a bounty on her head. Posters showing her stats would be found around the world, and Yuffie's stats, abilities and level would change when the party acquired her depending on which poster was inspected last. She was also intended to be an ex-SOLDIER. (Oh my gosh, WHAT? How would that Even Work?) My initial thought was "Hey, that would be cool!" And here we have this story. As of yet, there are no decided parings. In fact, most of this story is up to the muse, and she ain't tellin' me all the details up front! So let's get into it…_

 _P.S. I don't own it, so you don't sue._

* * *

 **[ μ ] - εγλ 0000 – October. End of the Wutai War.**

Late one cool October evening, SOLDIER Second Class, Zack Fair, ran. He was anxious, and wound up, a spot between his shoulders itching as if someone had been watching him. Sure, he was being monitored by Director Lazard, and probably Angeal, but this was different. No matter how many monsters or Wutai troops he dispatched, the feeling would not go away. Most of the fighting was over, with Zack nearly single-handedly taking care of most of the fortresses defenses. Well, Angeal had told him to indulge himself… B-units explosions had also done their job of creating a decent diversion. Now all that was left was to take control of the temple at the Fort's center. Now he was at the end of the line.

He approached the central most building of the fort, reaching for the soldier issue sword stuck to the magnet on his back. It was quiet, broken only by the sounds of evening cicadas and the rushed beat of his own boots breaking through the stillness. In his rush and excitement at the speed in which he had taken care of his mission, he almost missed the petite figure blocking his way.

"Woah!" he exclaimed as he slid to a sudden stop at the base of the steps. The itch between his shoulders was gone, he absently noted while regarding this new roadblock to mission completion.

The figure standing at the top of the stairs was draped with a tattered brown and white mog robe, which hid the figure's face, but was only long enough to cover mid thigh. Below that, it was hard for Zack to miss the shapely contour of well toned legs encased in thigh high brown leggings and laced up black knee high boots. Even with the boots added height, the entire figure couldn't have been more than a little over five feet tall.

A girl, then. Even if she was brandishing an oversized Shuriken that she was absently twirling in her right hand.

"You have done well to get this far, Shinra Scum," the dulcet voice said, confirming that the robed figure was, indeed, female, "but your advance ends here!"

Zack raised an eyebrow. Surely, this petite female wasn't planning to stop him… "Uh, who are you?"

The red lips under the hood turned up into a taunting smile as she took a battle ready stance, increasing Zack's intrigue, and slight worry. He wasn't much one for fighting teenage girls. "Tremble, for today you face Wutai's most powerful warrior, the steadfast protector of virtue and honor." Both of Zack's brows now rose to greet his hair line. "Defender of the earth and the sky, I am the Single White Rose of Wutai. The Great Ninja, Yuffie Kisaragi!"

With a flourish, the mog robe was discarded, revealing the svelte figure that matched the well-shaped legs. The only thing keeping Zack from laughing was his appreciation of the sight, since she was dressed much differently from all the other Wutai warriors that he'd faced. Instead of the full body armor of the samurai, she wore a green tank top that left her stomach bare, crossed over by a pair of black suspenders that held up the shortest pair of khaki shorts that he'd ever seen. A single black mesh glove graced her right arm, suitably matching the black boots that fit snuggly to her legs. On her left arm, secured by a single pauldron and straps across her chest, was an arm length leather gauntlet. Despite its thickness, it was well worn and flexible.

Deep brown eyes that bordered on purple challenged him. He decided that the way her feathered black hair traced her jaw line suited her face. At this point in his observation, he was well past the point of laughing, and quickly realizing that she was right in his age bracket. He might have been staring, evidenced by the small amount of annoyance held in the voice that addressed him.

"So, do you surrender?" the female ninja challenged.

Zack crossed his arms and gave his best grin. "You think you can take me? You're just a girl!"

"Just… a girl?" she parroted quietly, almost to herself, losing her grin. Zack might not have heard it if not for SOLDIER enhancements. The ninja- Yuffie, he reminded himself- suddenly fumed with a stomp. "Gawd, that's it! I am so going to wipe that stupid smirk off your stupid Shinra face!"

He wanted to laugh at how fun it was to rile her up, but then she charged, tossing her shuriken with lightning speed. He scrambled to order and barely dodged, pulling his sword from his back as he quickly rolled to the right, only to be met with a pair of hastily tossed kunai. They glanced off of his sword as he quickly brought it up to block. Yuffie caught her returning Shuriken and danced around him, no doubt looking for an opening. He really didn't want to hurt her since she was just a girl, but the way she had just brought that monster of a shuriken down towards his head was quickly changing his policies. He might not want to hurt her, but she certainly had none of the same compunctions. He leaned back, whistling as the sharp tip of her weapon glanced just out of reach of his nose.

"Hey, careful with that!" he rebuked.

Yuffie once again leapt backwards and tossed her shuriken with a smirk. "Stay still and I'll make it quick, SOLDIER boy!"

He countered the weapon and advanced, swinging his blade in a sideways arc. "Not likely. And my name is Zack."

She dodged under his reach, using her difference in their heights to her advantage, and reclaimed her shuriken, raising it just in time to block a downward blow. It staggered her and she involuntarily took a knee to keep from falling over completely. "Like I care, Shinra dog!"

While he was distracted staring down at her with puppy dog eyes, probably proving her point in a way, she used the moment to throw off his sword and escape the stalemate. Zack grinned. He wasn't really taking this seriously, but he could tell by the way she fought that her agility was natural, though her movements seemed erratic and off-the-cuff. She was constantly on the move, sometimes tossing her weapon from range, sometimes moving in for the kill when she thought she could press an advantage. It was only that natural speed and athleticism that caused Zack to need to put forth any effort at all into matching her moves. He matched her rhythm, dodging and parrying as needed, watching as she wore herself down with her pressing attacks for the right moment to strike. He really didn't want to hurt her, so a single well placed blow would probably do the trick.

"You're self taught, aren't you," he stated confidently, not at all tired.

She huffed as she blocked his sword with her weapon. "What do you care?" she replied breathlessly.

He dodged her counter attack and shrugged. "I dunno, just curious." Her attacks were getting sloppier, and her footwork wasn't as graceful as it had been. He could tell that the end was near. He smirked. "Hey, what do you say we call a truce, I finish up my mission, and you give me your PHS number?"

He couldn't tell if the look she gave in reply was horror, confusion, or outrage. Probably a mix of all three. His comment had the desired effect though, because she charged once more, probably aiming to kick him in the shin. He took the opportunity to knock her weapon from her hand and sweep her other foot out from under her.

She fell backwards with a heavy thud, wincing as her head followed her backside in smacking the hard dirt. He waited, watching for her to get up, and when she didn't he moved to walk away. He placed his sword on the magnet holster and waved. "Thanks for the dance!"

He was halfway up the steps before her voice stopped him. "Hey, SOLDIER boy." He stopped and looked back at her. "You aren't even winded, are you."

He shook his head with a grin. "Nope."

Even from the distance that he stood, he could hear the derision in her chuckle. "Gawd, I hate it." She winced, clutching her side from where he had caught her in the ribs once. "But what's the point in all that strength, huh? Can't even use it for good." And with that, she passed out.

He frowned as he stared down at the defeated Ninja girl. She was probably about his age. Probably not even a soldier. And yet, here she was, facing off against him as the last defense for this Fort. She was either very foolish for very brave. He shook his head silently, even though there was no one to see. His dream, as he had told Director Lazard just before this mission, was to be a hero. What had her dream been?

He abandoned that line of thought. He could almost hear Angeal in his head telling him to go defend his SOLDIER honor and complete this mission. With completion close at hand, he readied his sword and entered the temple doors.

* * *

The roar of the Guardian Vajradhara stirred the sore and aching ninja back to consciousness. "I'm still alive," she said to herself, staring at the open night sky while wincing at the pain in the back of her head and in her side. "I thought for sure I was a goner."

With a groan, she rolled to her side, grabbing her shuriken and using it as a prop to sit up. She ached all over. With a sigh, she shook her head to clear her mind. The last time she had been that thoroughly defeated had been the time when she had challenged the entire Crescent Unit to a spar. That had certainly not ended well.

"Yuffie-san."

She opened her eyes and lifted her head, putting on her bravest face despite the pain and shame. Before her stood the armored figure of a Wutaian soldier. She noted the crescent emblem set into his helmet. So, Cresent Unit, was it? They were always late to the party. She harrumphed. "Bout time you showed up." She groaned as she pulled herself up to standing. "It is pretty sad when the defense of the tower comes down to one… how was it you put it?" She stretched and twisted her waist to the left and right before picking up her shuriken and holding it proudly. "A weak little nobody?"

The Cresent Unit soldier shook his head. "As brave as your actions were, when coupled with recklessness, they are still the actions of a child."

She bristled and resisted the urge to stomp her foot. For one, her side still hurt and she didn't want to jar it, and for two, she didn't did want to prove him right. "I am not a child," she admonished, instead. "I am a warrior, whether you, my father, or the hierarch herself like it or not."

He looked at her appraisingly and she could feel the waves of judgment washing over her. She hated how everyone seemed to do that. She was always not refined enough, not quiet enough, not reserved enough, not ninja enough, not man enough. It somewhat surprised her when he responded with a barely audible "So it would seem," before turning and walking away. "The hierarch would like a word with you."

She frowned at his retreating back. His actions made it obvious that she was meant to follow obediently. "What about that SOLDIER that went into the temple?"

The soldier paused and looked towards the building in question. Things had become awfully still. The pause stretched on for a moment of silence. "It would seem this base has fallen. We would be wise not to tarry here."

Yuffie couldn't help but agree. If the Guardian could not defend the tower from one SOLDIER… well, it was best not to dwell on it. They left in silence, each fading into the shadows.

* * *

 _AN: How did I do?_

 _I am going to try my best to post something every two weeks, but I have tons of school work with no end in sight… this is my vacation. A much beloved vacation._

 _For the record, I'm sure many of you noticed the Cresent soldier calling Yuffie "san" instead of "hime" or whatever else one would expect. I have a couple of reasons for this. Number 1: This is an AU. Some things have changed. Number 2: The only reason I decided to use traditional honorifics AT ALL is because the original concept was a lot more traditional Japanese, and I wanted some way to convey that. (BTW, don't expect to see a lot of "Konichiwa!", "Kawai!", or "Gomen!" from me. I am not fluent in Japanese and refuse to pretend to be.) Be warned, this Wutai is a lot different from the Wutai you remember…_


	2. Unrefusable Orders

_AN: I'm not making any money off of this, so I obviously don't own it._

* * *

 **[ μ ] - εγλ 0000 – December.**

Yuffie squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the rolling of her stomach as the ship's rocking motion attempted to throw her overboard. This was the first time she had ever been on a ship. She had secretly been looking forward to this new simple pleasure. It had been romanticized in her brain, turning her into a pirate in search of lost Shinra treasure to bring back to Wutai. Or perhaps this could have been her inaugural journey as a materia hunter. Instead, she now wanted to die.

She wasn't sure what made her feel more sick to her stomach; the way the ship constantly pitched back and forth, or the Leviathan-cursed mission the Hierarch had given her. She squeezed her eyes shut and hugged the railing. The sound of the ocean waves breaking against the side of the ship reminded her vaguely of the fountains of the Royal Temple.

" _I have need of a Kisaragi; one who is guileful, resourceful, and above all, young_."

Yuffie frowned at the memory of the elderly Hierarch's voice. The old bag always reminded her of a snake's rattle when she spoke. It sent a shiver down her spine, but she'd hid it well and went to a knee in obedience, as generations of her family had done before her. The Kisaragi clan was, above all else, the hidden hand of the Hierarch, her blade in the night, the venom behind her words. All the clan but for Yuffie, that was. She was the black sheep of the clan, thanks to her father throwing her to the temple instead of the armory.

With that in mind, she had been relieved that High Priestess Izayoi wasn't chewing her out for being disobedient and skipping out on the temple to save Wutai. Again. The daughter of Leviathan was stern, but fair, and if Yuffie was being honest with herself, she had tested her limits often and without exception. She never did care much for the path her father had chosen for her. It was obvious from his choice of guardians that he had meant for her to follow Izayoi's profession instead of his own. She wasn't cut out to be a priestess, though.

She'd leave that to Sasame. Izayoi's real daughter, who by the age of eight, already was well acquainted with court mannerisms and customs, could sew, paint, sing like a nightingale, and hold vigorous religious discussion. Yuffie would keep her shuriken, thank you very much, even if she did have to train herself in its use. She was proud of being a free thinking enigma, a tempest that could not be contained. She wanted to be a ninja like her father, a protector of the Hierarchy and the Wutaian way of life!

She shook her head and groaned, leaning against the railings. Some ninja she was, incapacitated by something as simple as sea travel.

Through her sickness, she heard the voices of a couple of the sailors as they were going about their duties. "Didja hear? Seems there's a SOLDIER recruitment drive going on in Junon." Yuffie's ears perked up.

The other sailor sounded uninterested as he scoffed. "Good luck to them. I'm more interested in the rumor that a third of SOLDIER vanished, along with the Red Commander." That information wasn't anything new. It was part of the reason she was on this ship in the first place…

"That would explain it. I heard that now's the time to get in if you want in. Rumor mill has it that they are taking just about anybody these days. Must be desperate to get numbers back up." She smiled grimly. That was what Yuffie wanted to hear. "Hey kid, you alright?"

It took her a moment to realize that he was actually addressing her. The sixteen year old ninja just groaned and hugged the railing. "Just leave me to die… _Urk!_ " She lost the battle and lost her lunch into the ocean below.

"Woah, there!" the first sailor called out, while placing a hand on her back. "Poor lad. I haven't seen a case of sea sickness like this since Haversham brought on that Mideelian painter two years ago."

"Yeah, I remember him. He painted the deck, for sure," The second sailor chuckled.

Yuffie tried very hard not to think about that. "Grossness," she said under her breath. She was both oddly disappointed and relieved that her disguise was working so well. She had always been petite, so cutting her hair short and wearing baggy boy work clothes successfully gave her the appearance of a young teenage boy, instead of an older teenage girl.

"Here, take this." Yuffie looked to her left towards the voice of Sailor number one and saw that he was holding out a tranquilizer. "It'll help settle ya. You might even get to take a little nap," he chuckled.

She took it and popped open the stopper, downing the blue liquid faster than you could say "Gods of the Ten Faced Mountain". It took a moment, but the nausea did subside, at least a little. "Thanks," she managed to stammer out.

Sailor One gave her the thumbs up. "Not a prob, buck-o."

"So kid, where you headed? Don't see many Wutainese kids on the high seas these days," Sailor Two observed.

Yuffie shrugged. "Junon, and then to Midgar, Iguess."

Sailor two took off his cap and scratched his head before replacing it. "What you want in Midgar, kid?"

Yuffie grinned widely. "What any boy my age wants, pops! Fame and Fortune."

Both sailors laughed. "Well, you got that Midgar snark down, sure enough." Sailor One commented, "but aren't Wutai and Midgar at war? What fame and fortune could you find there?"

 _"You are to go as our hidden agent and infiltrate Shinra. Raise high in the ranks, and destroy them from the inside out. Create the opportunities for us to rise from these ashes," the Hierarch stated._

 _Yuffie frowned at the Hierarch, and then looked at High Priestess Izayoi. "You approve of this mission?"_

 _The high priestess shook her head. "It matters not whether I approve, this decision is ultimately yours. You have made it quite clear time and again that you will forge your own paths. I can only wish you well wherever your feet may take you."_

 _Yuffie thought about it. This was a chance to prove herself. If she turned down the Hierarch now, she'd have nothing to do but think about the might-have-beens while trying to escape temple lessons. This was her chance to become a true warrior._

Yuffie frowned and decided to weave a little truth into her story. "I'm actually a bit of the black sheep of my family. If I can't make it at home, I tell myself, where can I make it?"

Both sailors nodded sagely. "Fair point, lad, fair point." One tapped Two on the shoulder. "We best be getting back to our duties." He turned to Yuffie. "Get some rest lad, we'll be making landfall soon."

That at least cheered Yuffie a bit.

Two paused and looked back at Yuffie. "Hey, boy! What name should we be watching the papers for if you make it big?"

She grinned. "Yuri Kisaragi, SOLDIER First Class."

* * *

A month, two truck rides, and an unlucky chocobo later, Yuffie finally stood outside the doors to the SOLDIER recruitment office in sector three. Midgar was everything she had expected it to be: a den of polluted destitution and corruption. And here she stood; ready to join the company that was responsible. She shook her head. _I can't think like that,_ she told herself _. Think of the mission. You will be in the company, but not if it. You are going to be the straw that broke the chocobo's back! The hidden thorn in the shoe of Shinra! You can do this!_

Now fired up after her self-pep talk, she confidently marched through the doors of the recruitment building.

The décor was Spartan to say the least. The only think keeping the walls from being blank cinder block was a large Shinra banner hanging behind the recruiters table. There was a short line of only a few young boys in front of her, one of who she was sure wasn't even of legal age to join. She went ahead and took her spot in line. She watched the process ahead of her with interest. A boy would grab a clip board from one recruiter, go to the standing booth to the side to fill it out, and then return to the other recruiter. After some keyboard tapping, the new recruit was taken behind a curtain to a rear room. This concerned Yuffie a bit, but after seeing the first person she had seen go in come back out again, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Soon it was her turn to start the process. She grabbed her clip board, went to the side and filled in the information she had been given, reluctantly, by her father. The birth date was the same as Yuffie Kisaragi's but two years earlier, placing her age at fourteen. Her gender, on paper, was male. Home address, NA, reason, disowned. Her father had completely changed her records, so thoroughly that the original existence of Yuffie Kisaragi could no longer be found. In her place stood Yuri Kisaragi, a disowned ninja punk who needed an outlet for all his teenage angst. In a way, it was perfect.

She handed her clip board to the recruiter and watched him enter the information. He looked up at her. "Alright, all your info checks out. Take this to the back and hand it to the nurse waiting. She'll take your vitals and do your entry physical for the records."

She took the clip board from him silently and swallowed hard. If ever there was going to be a hurdle to cross, this was it. She entered behind the curtain like she was told and handed the nurse the clipboard.

"This way," the petite woman said with a wave of her hand. "I'm just going to take your pulse and blood pressure, record your height and weight, and ask you some medical history questions."

Yuffie released a breath she hadn't known she's been holding. "Alrighty, then."

After taking height and weight the nurse smiled at her. "You are a shrimp, aren't you."

Yuffie reddened. It was true, but it didn't mean it didn't hurt to hear. "I'm still waiting for my growth spurt," she lied.

The nurse smiled understandingly. "Don't worry. It won't be long. If you make the cut, most fresh SOLDIER recruits hit a growth spurt right after the first dose of the mako injections." She chuckled. "And I've seen scrawnier than you come through here."

Yuffie silently replied with a sideways grin.

Once they were done, Yuffie was sure that she had gotten through pain free. But that was not to be the case. The nurse handed the clip board to her one more time. "Alright, Yuri, take this to room three at the end of the hall. The doctor will be in for your physical soon. You don't get woozy with needles, do you?" she asked, probably because Yuffie's face had just drained of all color.

She shook her head vehemently. "No, no, nothing like that. I just… can't remember the last time I saw a doctor is all." She smiled sheepishly with a thumbs-up to the nurse.

"You'll be fine," she replied kindly and sent the teenage ninja-turned-recruit on his way. Her way. It's way. Whatever. Yuffie was done thinking about it.

She sat in room three for what felt like ages. She used this alone time checking the room for cameras and microphones, thankfully finding none, but that only put her at ease minimally. After checking the room for the second time, she hopped up on the examination table and kicked her legs like a kid while she waited. She was beginning to wish she hadn't left her Shuriken at the room she had rented out. Yeah, she didn't want to come armed and get sent away on first sight, but now she was wondering if she was going to have to fight her way out after being discovered a fraud. Maybe she could talk her way out of this? She had some money, maybe a bribe would work? Meh, but what doctor was desperate enough to take a twenty gil bribe…

The sound of the door opening broke her train of thought. She stilled her eyes and looked at the doctor who had just entered. He looked slightly Wutainese himself, only with a little something extra mixed in, softening the angles of his face. She hoped beyond hope that he would be sympathetic.

He took one look at her and sighed, speaking in Wutainese. "You are a girl, aren't you."

Her expression hardened, as she also replied in her native tongue. "Not anymore. Not officially, anyway."

The doctor- Yusef, according to his name tag- shook his head. "I don't know what brought you here today, but you had best go home. SOLDIER is not a woman's house."

Yuffie saw red and retaliated before she had a second to think about her next words. "Don't you dare! Don't you dare take one look at me and deem me incapable because I'm a girl." She paused and moderated her voice, only slightly to keep from alerting anyone who might be listening through the door. "I have fought in more battles than I can care to count, against both Wutai's native monsters and invading Shinra forces. I have trained myself in stealth, poisons, materia use, and both basic swordsmanship and the Shuriken, which mind you, is NOT a light weapon." She paused and took a deep breath. Yelling at the attending physician was not going to get her into SOLDIER. She tried again, this time trying to be as civil as possible. "I'm not just some weak woman, Doctor. I'm probably stronger than all of the boys you've seen today. At least give the go-ahead to enter candidate training. I can handle things from there. "

Dr. Yusef crossed his arms, holding his stance. Apparently, he was used to the tirades of Wutainese women. "And what after that? You won't be able to hide your gender forever."

Yuffie shook her head with a smile and thumped her chest. "You let me worry about that, Doc. Besides, I don't have anywhere else to go." She put all her acting skills into the wry smile she gave him. "I wasn't lying when I said I was disowned. You know Wutai, Doc. For all its matriarchy, Women aren't allowed to fight. If I go back, I will not have a leg to stand on."

"You could always enter the order of priestess."

The look on Yuffie's face was deadly serious as she told the absolute truth. "I would rather work at the Honeybee, Doc. I haven't been in this town long, and I already know its reputation. Would you subject me to that?"

They stared at each other in a test of wills. The good doctor broke first. He sighed deeply and turned to the tools he had brought in with him. "I'm going to need three vials of blood from you, and you are going to need a mako tolerance panel," he said, slipping back into midgaran.

"Yes," she cheered under her breath, a grin spreading across her face. "Thanks, doc."

He shook his head. "Don't thank me. Trust me, I'm doing you no favors by continuing this process." He took the three vials of blood quickly, labeled them, and put them into another labeled baggie. When he turned back to Yuffie, he had a syringe filled with a small amount of green glow. "This is mako. Same composition used in SOLDIER enhancements."

Yuffie eyed the small syringe with distrust. "Will this make my eyes glow?"

The doctor laughed. "No, not at all. This is but a fraction of a fraction of what is used in SOLDIER enhancements, and even then, it takes multiple injections to achieve the signature glow." He disinfected a spot on her forearm while he talked. "This is just the tolerance panel. We inject a very small amount and see how you take to it. In most cases, there is just a small sting, perhaps a burning sensation. The area may be sore for a couple of days." He stuck the needle into her forearm and injected the material. It was a cold burn, stinging sharply but then fading as the green glow absorbed below her skin. "Worst case scenario, some people suffer severe reactions such as dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, stroke, hallucination, and/or death." He disinfected the area one more time and put a small plaster bandage on it with a smile.

Yuffie looked at him with horror. "Wow, doc. Think you could have told me the rest of that before giving me the shot?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Would it have mattered?"

She thought about it and then shook her head. "Nah. Its SOLDIER or bust at this point."

Doc Yusef nodded. "You are done." He looked over her chart one more time, while adding a few more notes to it. "And healthier than most of the boys I see coming through here." She smirked at that. "Go to the waiting room. Someone will check the injection site in two hours. After that, you will be given further instructions, based on compatibility to the SOLDIER program."

Yuffie spritely hopped off the table. "Okie dokie, then." She headed for the door.

"Oh, and Yuri," she paused at the door looking back at the doc. "Good luck."

* * *

Lab assistants ran back and forth through the lab, making sure that everything was in place, that every experiment was secure, and that all the I's were dotted and T's were crossed. It wasn't often that Hojo himself came down to the recruitment offices, but when he did, he expected it to be just as orderly as his own Lab on the 68th floor of the Shinra Building. Every now and then, he had the odd inclination to check the new "recruits" for interesting individuals. Today was one of those days.

Hojo's trek through the lower offices was uneventful, though techs and scientists alike went out of their way to be out of his way. He chuckled. They were like ants in an ant farm, following the processes that he himself had invented for ferreting out the detritus from the dross.

He finally came to the neat and tidy desk of the lab tech in charge of new recruit testing. Usually, there were two stacks; one for the acceptable recruits, and one for the rejects. Today, the reject pile was much larger than the other, and there was a third pile consisting of a single file. Most curious.

"What is this?" Hojo asked, lifting the single file.

"Professor!" the lab assistant stood in surprise, coming to attention. "That is the file for one of today's new recruits."

The scientist scowled. "I know that, you ignoramus. I am more curious as to why it warrants its own pile."

The assistant adjusted his coat and motioned towards the pile of rejections. "Out of today's recruits, one was underage, two had adverse reactions to mako, and one was mentally incapable to the point that he started crying for his mother before the mental battery was even halfway finished." He pointed to the file in Hojo's hand, which the scientist was already flipping though. "This one, however, I was unsure where to put. The subject reacts well to mako, and all mental and physical markers are within acceptable ranges, but they also suggest that the subject is…"

"Female," Hojo interrupted. "Interesting. There is no precedent?"

The assistant shook his head. "None established. SOLDIER life does not seem to appeal to the fairer sex, professor."

Hojo adjusted his glasses. "The … _fairness_ of the gender aside, the subject's physical markers are above acceptable, with average to above average mental markers." He flipped the page to the mako tolerance battery, the thoughts in his brain generating wildly. "Most interesting." He handed the file to the assistant. "Put this one in the _acceptable_ pile. And let the gender of the subject remain private." He thought for a moment. "It is probably safe to assume that the subject has lied about her age as well. I want to know everything about this new subject. Have a full genetic report on my desk by tomorrow morning."

The assistant blanched at the near impossible task, but nodded anyway. "Yes, Professor. I'll start right away." With a nod from Hojo, the assistant was gone.

Alone with the files, Hojo tapped on the top _accepted_ file with a smile on his face. "Such an interesting specimen." He turned to walk away, leaving the files to be picked up for their next destination. "I don't believe I have a 'Y' yet."

And with that, he left the lower offices, heading to his lab on the 68th floor once more.

* * *

 _So... questions, comments, concerns? I'm actually rather pleased with how this turned out. I was/am a little worried that Yuffie is somewhat out of character, but I make myself feel better by telling myself that this Yuffie is older and has had a much different life. Plus... I like the name Yuri. :)_


	3. Making the Cut

_Disclaimer: Still don't own, still don't sue._

 _PS. Thanks for the love! :D_

* * *

 **[ ν ] - εγλ 0001- February.**

It had been six weeks since Yuffie officially began her new life as Yuri. There had been challenges, sure. The ninja-turned-recruit was a bit shocked to learn that SOLDIER recruits had communal showers, and that did not work for her. It was an easy fix, however. Yuri claimed cultural differences, woke up an hour before everyone else to shower, and always packed a smoke bomb just in case. It hadn't gone as bad as she had feared it would, though she'd earned something of a reputation for being an early riser.

The training courses had been almost disgustingly easy, except for the History of Shinra course that all recruits were required to take. Yuffie had terrible scores in that class, partly because she couldn't help but feel they were at least 80% propaganda and partly because she just didn't care. Socially, there had been a few incidents between her a few of the other recruits. At first, she had been somewhat standoffish while she tried to reconcile the fact that all of these boys were her enemies with the fact that she was now one of these teenage boys. That quickly faded though, as the harsh training had that way of uniting people that only adversity could.

Otherwise, she was lucky. She wasn't the smallest recruit. That was one of the benefits of being two years older than these boys, not that they knew that. She wasn't even one of the scrawniest. That award went to a little blond boy who Yuffie suspected wasn't even fourteen yet. Oddly enough, she wasn't even the prettiest recruit. All in all, Yuffie appeared to be a rather average boy. The only thing anyone ever tried to give her grief over was her ethnicity. And they only did _that_ once.

Admittedly, one of the keys to her success was being in the know. The first rule of information gathering was to first check the local bars. The SOLDIER cafeteria worked just as well, however, as the idle conversation was a very good indicator of the general consensus. Plus, the conversation never failed to amuse her.

"I heard he used to be a child soldier in the Wutai army…" That was Berrick, a tanned blond recruit from Costa del Sol.

Sitting with him was Niels. "Nah. He was one of those shinobi or ninja or something. Have you seen the way he uses the flying sickle they give us in training?" The second SOLDIER recruit had a hint of reverence in his voice as he continued. "It's something else. I don't know why the guy would even bother with a sword." Yuffie couldn't help but grin.

"Think he fell in a mako spring or something?" This speculation came from a third recruit who had just joined the group, sitting at the table with his tray of cafeteria food. "I can't believe he managed to beat Carlyle, of all people…"

"Nah. His eyes don't glow. Besides, Carlyle is a prejudiced git," Niels stated. "He shoulda used that pea he calls a brain before picking on the Wutai kid."

"Think he'll walk again?" Berrick asked.

"Who, Carlyle?" asked Niels. Berrick nodded. "Well, he won't be in SOLDIER, that's for sure."

Pushing 'Yuri' to the front, Yuffie finally kicked off the wall where she had been hiding in plain sight. "No, no, no, you got it all wrong, gentlemen," she smirked with a toothy grin that screamed mischief. "He just thought he'd have a go at me 'cause I'm so 'pretty'. I had to shove my androgynous foot up his ass just to make sure he never made that mistake again."

All three SOLDIER recruits jumped. "Jeez, Yuri. Make some noise when you move." This was the third recruit. Yuri was slightly shocked to remember that his name was Archer or something like that. He was dark haired and dark eyed and could have been mistaken for Wutaian if not for his round face and equally round eyes.

Yuffie turned that toothy grin on him. "What, and miss out on all the juicy gossip about myself? No way!" the ninja-turned-recruit took a seat next to Niels, who she had found was the smartest of the group over the period of her reconnaissance. "So, anyone got the scoop on what to expect today?"

Niels grinned back. "You mean besides getting into SOLDIER?"

Yuffie shrugged and drummed her fingers on the table. "Well, that is a given. I mean what kind of test they are going to give us. Jeez, I hope it isn't written." That was an understatement. Yuffie could speak the language very well and even read it moderately well, but when it came to writing…

"Nah, it's going to be a practical exam. Something like capture the flag in one of the training rooms, or something." If Yuffie didn't have a cover that could be blown she could have kissed Niels right there.

Instead, Yuffie punched the palm of her hand. "Perfect! I've been dying to give some simulations a taste of pain a-la-Yuri."

"Well you seem confident," said Archer, mouth full of food. Yuffie wasn't sure how Archer could eat right before their SOLDIER exams. Every ounce of pride that she had was riding on getting into SOLDIER, and the anxiousness was starting to get to her.

Yuffie waved it off, anyway, and scoffed. "Please. Give me three minutes with that simulation. No, make it two." She thought for a moment, running scenarios in her head. "Well maybe three… or four depending on how many enemies they put in the simulation."

"If it's capture the flag, why fight at all?" Berrick asked. "Just use your ninja skills and steal the flag before anyone knows what happened."

Shaking her head, Yuffie frowned. "Sure I could, but that would defeat the purpose of a SOLDIER exam. I want in SOLDIER, not in the Turks." In fact, the Turks were the last group of people she wanted to join. They had that "loyalty to Shinra at all costs" thing that even Yuffie's ultimate acting couldn't fake.

"And that would almost guarantee Turk recruitment," Niels supplied. Yuffie knew he wasn't stupid.

" _ALL RECRUITS TAKING PART INTO TODAY'S EXAMS, REPORT TO THE SOLDIER FLOOR TRAINING AREA."_ The mechanical voice of the P.A. System blared. " _REPEAT: ALL RECRUITS TAKING PART IN TODAY'S EXAMS, REPORT TO THE SOLDIER FLOOR TRAINING AREA."_

Yuffie looked at her fellow recruits. They weren't bad guys. They were just boys. Boys who were willingly joining Shinra. She frowned and gave those who would have been her enemies a serious look. No, they were _Yuffie's_ enemies. They were _Yuri's_ comrades. "Well, our time has come, boys. Let's show that simulation who's boss."

* * *

Sergeant Burns, supervising officer of the recruits currently under observation, looked nervously at the other observers who had joined him. Though it was a requirement that the test be overseen by at least one member of SOLDIER, it was commonly known amongst the rank and file that the SOLDIER exams were something of a spectator sport for the upper echelons of rank. Still, to have the great Sephiroth himself presiding was something of a shock. Accompanying him was a SOLDIER second by the name of Zack Fair.

Between the two of them, the gloom was thick enough to be cut with a knife.

"Since Angeal won't be able to make it, we'll take his place today," Zack Fair had said while entering the observation deck. Sephiroth had just entered silently and taken a stance next to the large one-way window that overlooked the testing room, leaning against the wall.

The sergeant frowned. He hoped this didn't mean that Angeal Hewley actually was MIA. He had heard the rumor, but found it hard to believe that the stalwart First would actually abandon SOLDIER.

The process for the SOLDIER exam was fairly simple. Each candidate was given an objective to complete and a scenario to complete it in. Today's scenario was of the "capture the flag" variant focused on the Fort Condor battle ground. The difficulty was set to the lowest setting, and each candidate was given a score based on completion, time, battle prowess, and ingenuity.

The initial shock of having the Silver General in the observation room wore off quickly as a rotund cadet entered the arena and proceeded to make a fool of himself.

"Did that guy just catch himself on fire?" SOLDIER Second Class, Zack, asked with an even mix of amusement and shock.

"Yes, and he seems to think that running around will put the fire out," Sergeant Burns replied with a sad shake of his head. The quality of recruits lately had been dismal. "He's just fanning the flames."

At that point the safety system kicked in, dumping water on the recruit and terminating the scenario.

"So much for that one," Zack yawned.

The next two recruits weren't quite so hopeless. Both managed to reach the objective, though it was a bit of a struggle and took longer than the Sergeant would have preferred. The entire time, the Silver General had remained disconcertingly quiet as he watched the recruits, instead letting Zack do all the talking. The fourth recruit entered the stage and the scenario started again. Things were going faster this time, and Burns couldn't help but notice that the General seemed more interested as well. He had obviously noticed something that the Sergeant hadn't. It was Zack who voiced what it was.

"Woah, wait! I know that fighting style," Zack stated as he watched the recruit fight his way through the simulation. He turned to the Sergeant, who was holding the roster. "Where'd you say this guy was from?"

Sergeant Burns looked at his clipboard. "Yuri Kisaragi. Wutaian, sir."

The Silver General finally spoke, an elegantly lifted eyebrow indicating his interest. "For what reason would a Wutaian join SOLDIER?"

"Maybe to meet the 'Demon of Wutai'? " Zack joked. It was clear from the disapproving look that Sephiroth leveled at Zack that he did not appreciate the title.

The Sergeant ignored Zack and answered Sephiroth's question instead. "He joined Shinra after he was disowned by his family." The General gave no indication that this was enough information, so the sergeant continued. "History shows he has had average to above average skill in battle and materia usage. Written scores are slightly below average, though he has been showing competency with battle tactics in simulations. He hasn't fully adopted SOLDIER sword techniques, though. Still favors a bit of the Wutaian style, as you can see."

"Indeed," Sephiroth replied with a nod. "As long as his technique is effective, I do not see that as a mark against him."

"Gotta agree with Seph, there," Zack said as he continued to watch the Wutaian below. Both of his eyebrows lifted in surprise as he pressed both hands to the glass to get a better look. "That was one hell of a throw!" The candidate had just pegged an aerial enemy from twenty meters away with the throwing sickle that all recruits and SOLDIER Thirds were issued. The Wyvern had been swooping down towards the candidate's computer generated allies at the time, and was still dropped from the sky with a sickle between the eyes.

The sergeant nodded. "It seems to be his specialty, sir."

The first nodded, and then almost gave the Sergeant a heart attack when he cracked a small smile. "So it would seem." The general then turned to the SOLDIER Second. "Wutai culture places a large emphasis on honor."

The Sergeant was shocked by how quickly Zack went from hyper puppy to quietly attentive at the mention of honor.

The Second nodded. "You saying what I think you're saying?"

"Being disowned is, in their society, one of the most dishonorable things one can face," Sephiroth continued, crossing his arms across his chest as he watched the recruit blow past the last group of enemies and reach his objective. The Sergeant pressed time on his stop watch, and recorded it. It wasn't record breaking, but it was the fastest time anyone had seen this month. The First smiled at the Second. "Let's restore a bit of that honor, shall we?"

Zack Fair grinned. "And here I thought I was the only one subject to Angeal's lectures on dreams and honor."

Sephiroth's shrug was almost unperceivable. "Zackary, I've been party to Angeal's lectures since before SOLDIER was even a thought in your head." He suddenly pushed from the wall he had been leaning on and made for the door. "Sergeant, add this recruit to the SOLDIER Third roster. Zackary, finish up here, and then meet me in my office." And with that, the Silver General was gone.

The Sergeant looked at Zack, who shrugged. "You heard the man. Let's see the next contestant!"

* * *

 _AN: I actually originally intended for Angeal to be the one in the Observation deck, but then I realized that timeline-wise, at this point he would already have taken off with Genesis. I had to go back and rewrite the scene, but I'm glad I did! I think it came out a lot better this way._

 _Starting next chapter, things are really going to start picking up as we get into the swing of things and start making stuff complicated. I've got the rest of this story mapped out up until the start of the OG, where I think I might end this portion of the AU, since that is where the natural conclusion is for this arc._

 _Until later!_


	4. First Days

_Shout-out to Guest JeJe: I'm glad! I've personally always overlooked Yuffie, but imagining the possibilities… I'm excited too. :D As for the Cloud Question… That would be telling ^_~ But oh my gosh, could you imagine? Zack might end up with some competition…_

 _Disclaimer: I still don't own this stuff, Squenix! Don't come at me, bro._

* * *

SOLDIER Third Class, Yuri Kisaragi was miserable. That test injection back at the recruitment office was nothing compared to the full dose, and she still had to go back for the boosters. The good news was that she seemed to take it better than some of the other new Thirds. At least she was still able to walk around. She looked at the slip of paper in her hand and compared it against doors until she found the one to her new quarters. Yuffie opened the door and paused, slightly startled.

"Yuri, you have got to be inhuman or something," Niels groused as Yuffie entered the room. From the looks of things, it appeared that they were roomies from here on out. "I had to be dragged in here by demons in white coats."

The fifteen year old boy did look absolutely wretched, stretched out over his bed still wearing his recruit uniform, boots and all. He had a cold compress over his eyes, which he had bonelessly replaced as soon as he had seen who had entered the room.

Yuffie shook her head and sat on the bed on her side of the room. "No shot can put down the invincible Yuri Kisaragi," she haughtily replied with a smirk.

"Hmph," was Niels' only reply.

Despite her words, she still fought the urge to plop backwards onto the bed and pass out. Instead, she pulled her company issued Hardegde from her back and slotted the sleep, fira, and blizzara materias that she had been issued into it. In all, it wasn't a bad set for her first set of materias. They weren't as nice as the natural materia that could be found around Wutai, but they would do for now. She leaned the sword against the wall between her bed and the dresser.

Next, she removed the flying sickle from her hip and laid it on top of the dresser. It didn't even have a single materia slot on it, even if it was her preferred weapon of the two. Thoughts were running through her head about maybe sneaking down to requisitions and seeing about getting an upgrade. Maybe something that folded and unfolded to be more like her Shuriken? That idea had merits…

"So… Yuri," Niels said from under his compress, "Solve the mystery for me. Trained ninja or child soldier?"

Yuffie pulled out the bundle that contained her new uniform. "So, you finally decided to ask me directly?" she replied with a smirk. The blue pants were baggy, and that was a good thing. Baggy meant that she wouldn't have to pretend she was anything but female from the waist down.

"Well, we're roommates now, right?" He sat up with a groan and leaned against the pillow at the head of his bed. "It would be nice to know who I'm sharing space with."

She fingered the ribbed top in her hands, and decided to go for mostly the truth. "Both, I guess. Family didn't approve, though." She grinned. "I'm the black sheep of the family."

The top was a form fitting sleeveless turtleneck. Her arms were muscled enough that they had some definition, but it was the softer definition of a female athlete. It was obvious that she was lean to begin, and comparatively, Wutaian men had leaner musculature than other cultures, so her ethnicity might work to her advantage. The main issue was her breasts. Luckily, she wasn't that well endowed. In fact, she barely had to tape down anything, and a simple bandage wrap usually did the trick. Unfortunately, the form fitting top would reveal all of that.

She sighed and pulled out the optional breast plate. "What about you? I wasn't sure you could look more pale, but, boy, did you prove me wrong," she ribbed back. He was still looking a little green around the gills, and with mako, that probably wasn't an exaggeration. The dark hair and green eyes didn't help.

"Icicle Inn". He sat up and pointed a thumb at his chest. "You are looking at one of the best snowboarders north of Modeoheim," he added before plopping back onto the pillow.

Yuffie smirked. "Yeah, talk big. We all know that most of the world is South of Modeoheim." The chest peice was technically a part of the regulation uniform, but it was largely out of use. It was made to match the two shoulder pauldrons of the uniform. It was a toss-up over what would stand out more; the obvious out-of-date chest piece or the somewhat possibly noticeable chest bandage.

Niels harrumphed. "Yeah, but north is where all the snow is."

Yuffie's smile was faint. "You've never seen Wutai in the winter." She placed the uniform to the side and leaned back. She'd have to try both styles later to see what the best course of action would be.

"Tell me about it." It sounded like a request instead of a remark.

"Huh?" Yuffie replied.

"Tell me about Wutai," Niels clarified. "Who knows, one of us might get sent there. All I've heard is that it's a tropical nightmare, but I want to hear what the real deal is."

The ninja SOLDIER looked up at the ceiling and shook her head. "I highly doubt they'd send me there, to be honest. You really wanna know what Wutai is like?"

Niels nodded. "Yeah. I wouldn't want anyone to visit my home thinking it was worth nothing more than slush and mud. Tell me what Wutai is really like."

Yuffie gave him an appraising look and then shrugged, thinking better of him for his reasoning. She leaned forward, resting her chin on her laced fingers. "Well, first of all, it isn't always a tropical nightmare. That's just during the summer," she teased. "My favorite season is the fall. All the leaves turn a rainbow of colors. Reds, oranges, yellows, even blues and purples. Right smack dab in the middle of all that color, the Temple holds a Lantern Festival each year, filling the streets with great smells from food vendors, crafts, homemade toys, traditional clothing, games, you name it. Can't find anything like that in Midgar, I can guarantee it."

Niels opened his mouth. "What about…"

"Nope!" Yuffie interrupted. "Not even at Little Wutai. Don't interrupt me."

The Icelander gave the Wutaian a look that said 'but you just did', but closed his mouth anyway. Yuffie continued. "Now spring, on the other hand, is colorful for a whole different reason. Everything blooms. And I mean _everything_. Allergies, beware. If you aren't busy trying to get all the snot out of your head, it's really pretty." Yuffie didn't have allergies, just motion sickness. Thank GAWD.

"And winter?" Niels prompted when his fellow SOLDIER paused.

She smirked at him. "Wutai isn't all snow and misery in the winter, but the entire Ten Faced Mountain turns white. It's perfect. You wanna go snowboarding? Climb the mountain. Wanna build a snowman? Climb the mountain. Wanna spend all winter shoveling snow? Move onto the mountain, because it isn't gonna happen in the village." Yuffie smiled widely. "It's perfect."

"So why'd you join SOLDIER?"

 _Time to deflect_ , she thought. "Honor and Glory, my friend. Honor and Glory." And with that she grabbed the bundle of uniform. "I'm gonna hit the shower before you feel well enough to hog it."

He chuckled. "If you say so." The tone of his voice said that he might not have entirely believed her reasoning, but she didn't care all that much as long he didn't get too nosy.

* * *

One of the best things about being promoted to SOLDIER was that communal showers were a thing of the past. Now she just had to share a shower with three other people; her own roommate and the pair of SOLDIERs in the room on the other side of the bathroom. Even better, both sets of doors locked on the inside! Yuffie took advantage of this and secured the room, double checking each door twice, before stripping down to nothing. She carefully folded her old uniform and laid it to the side.

The hot water of the shower felt glorious on her sore muscles, even if the hot water had a short life span. She stretched and twisted while in the shower, letting the water pressure soothe the injection site where the mako was still absorbing into her tissue. They had told her that it would be sore for a few days, but it was already feeling much better. Finally getting clean, she turned off the rapidly cooling water and dried off, wrapping the towel around her head.

Once dry, she redressed, this time putting on the light blue Third Class uniform. The pants and boots were a perfect fit. After refitting the bandage tightly over her chest, she slipped the turtleneck on and examined herself in the mirror without the chest plate. It was faint, almost too faint to see, but the barest outline of the bandage was visible. Yuffie turned to the side. Her chest seemed flat enough. She sighed. It really was both a blessing and a curse. She went ahead and put on the suspenders, belt, and shoulder guards, just to get the full effect.

This time, with everything on, even Yuffie was having a hard time telling she had boobs somewhere.

She shook her head and took off the shoulder guards so that she could put on the chest plate underneath. It looked funky, or at least she thought it did. SOLDIERs just didn't wear these often. She put on the helmet for the full effect. Yep. She looked like a SOLDIER.

Picking up the old uniform and her towel, she unlocked both sets of doors and stepped back into her room.

Niels took one look at her and laughed. "What's up with the chest plate?" He rolled into a sitting position and smirked as he sat up, his discomfort barely registering on his face. "You know those are like _way_ out of style."

Yuffie tossed down her old uniform and removed her helmet so that he could get the full effect of her frown. "It's really that bad?"

He nodded. "It's really that bad, dude."

She sighed and removed the shoulders and chest plate, albeit with reluctance, but it would have seemed odd to go back into the bathroom just to remove a piece of armor. When he didn't automatically scream _'oh my gawd, you have boobs'_ , she relaxed and put her shoulder guards back on. "Better?" she asked, crossing her arms with a wide stance.

He nodded with a smirk. "Much." He stood with a groan and hobbled over to her bed, picking up her helmet and jamming onto her head with a pat. "There! Now you look like a SOLDIER." He also picked up her PHS off of the dresser and tossed it to her. She caught it after a brief fumble. "By the way, we both got a message while you were in the shower. I think you, especially, will want to read it."

Yuffie frowned and checked the messages on her new company-issued PHS.

 _"Attention! All Operatives are to cease fire and withdraw from Wutai immediately. Peace negotiations are currently underway. All operatives are to cease all hostilities."_

Peace negotiations… Yuffie translated this into one thing: Wutai had lost the war. There wasn't really any question about it. What was it the Hierarch had told her? Wutai would rise from the ashes? She had known Wutai wasn't going to win.

She deleted that email and almost put the phone away when another message buzzed her phone. She looked at it and felt a chill run through her entire body as she read the message written in Wutaian. " _The Hierarch has been assassinated. Stay the course."_ The message deleted itself just as quickly as Yuffie had read it. Yuffie was glad that she was still wearing her helmet. If ever there was a time when it would have been impossible for her to school her face, this was that time.

"At least we both know neither of us will be sent to Wutai now," Niels said in relief. He had missed the way Yuffie's shoulders had tensed. She had forgotten momentarily that he was in the room.

She shook it off and feigned a smile. "That's for sure," she replied, again thankful for the helmet. She wasn't sure the smile could reach her eyes anytime within the next ten years. She grabbed her sword and flying sickle and swung the later onto the magnet holster on the back of her uniform. "Enjoy your shower! I'm off to find a training room."

The other new SOLDIER had a look of surprise on his face. "Already? Aren't you even tired?"

She smirked and gave him a thumbs-up on her way out the door. "Can't make Second in record time by sitting around!" she smirked. Besides, she really felt the need to hit something. Lots of somethings, in fact.

* * *

All the Third Class training rooms were taken. All the Second Class training rooms were taken. She wasn't brave enough to try the First Class training room, so therefore a very irritable and wound up, freshly mako'd Yuffie Kisaragi found herself back on the Infantry training floor. At this point, she was ready to take on a whole slew of 'em.

Just her luck, they were all taken, too.

She was about to give up and go back to her room when something in one of the rooms caught her eye. _Hey, don't I know that kid?_ She asked herself, peeking closer into the doorway. Sure enough, the room's participants comprised of Archer and the little Blond kid from her training group who she was sure was too young to actually join SOLDIER, much less the infantry. They were sparing, or doing something that somewhat resembled sparing. Archer was abysmal, flailing at the little blond kid with his practice sword and seeming to hope that something would connect. He seemed to think that his bigger size would be enough to win against the tiny blond.

Truth was, it just might have been enough. Several times, the blond had an opening and seemed about to go for it, but always stopped just shy of taking the shot. _Huh. Lack of confidence versus lack of skill. Which one will win?_ She thought, wishing there was someone she could make a bet with. Her money was on the blond, just to spite Archer, who she never really liked all that much anyway. Before the "spar" could come to a good conclusion, though, the instructor, who she had failed to see in the room, called time. Archer was quick to leave, following the instructor, who had given her an odd look. Apparently, he wasn't used to Third Class Soldiers peeking in on infantry training sessions.

"Hey, Archer," Yuffie said, startling the recruit. Check that, startling the _infantryman_ from the look of his new duds. "They put you in the infantry, huh?"

Archer scratched the back of his head. "Oh, hi, Yuri," he replied sheepishly. "Uh, yeah. And gave me extra training to boot." Yuffie raised an eyebrow, not the he could see it through her helmet. She also just stood there with her arms crossed, and so he supplied further information. "I, uh, kinda set myself on fire during the exam."

Yuffie couldn't help it. She busted out laughing, startling several infantrymen who stopped to look at the possibly deranged Third Class. She really didn't care. Reaching under her visor, she wiped away a tear and shook her head. "Oh, man. That's priceless." She looked into the room, and saw that the little blond recruit was still in the room, sitting on the floor and seemingly contemplating becoming a part of it. She lifted a thumb towards the room. "What about him? How'd he earn extra training?"

Archer shrugged. "Dunno. I think he didn't finish in time or something."

Yuffie smirked. She could see that. The poor kid had negative self esteem, and if he went after the enemy the way he went after Archer, it would have taken him AGES to finish off just one. Well, Auntie Yuffie could fix that. She had nothing better to do right now.

"Thanks, Archie. See ya later!" She replied, opening the door.

"Its Arch-ER," he replied, exaggerating the ending.

Yuffie waved him off as she entered the room. "Yeah, yeah. Laters, meat-head."

The blond didn't even look up when the door closed behind Yuffie with a resounding _thud_. She walked over to him and stood with her hands on her hips. He still didn't look up at her, even after she had made an effort to make noise as she crossed the room. "Oi, blondie. If you want to become one with the floor, could you do it when I'm _not_ looking for an outlet for my frustrations?"

At that, the blond finally looked up, his cheeks turning a pretty pink. _I could pinch 'em_ , _they're so cute…_ Yuffie thought. No wonder no one thought she looked pretty for a boy. This kid made her feel downright burly!

"… sorry." He replied.

 _Ohmygosh… must…not… hug…_ Yuffie cleared her throat and held out her hand to help the kid up. He looked warily at her hand before hesitantly grabbing it and letting her pull him to his feet. She was 5'2", and he was still shorter than her. He couldn't have been any taller than 5 feet. She failed to resist the urge and ruffled his hair. "Good boy," she said.

He did not look at her kindly.

"You know what your problem is, kid?" She started, standing with her hands on her hips. "Self Esteem." She pointed a finger at his nose. "You don't have a lick of it."

He shrugged. "… sorr…"

"Nope!" Yuffie interrupted. "No apologies!" she tapped her chin and grinned widely under her helmet. "That's it! I, Yuri Kisaragi, have decided to take you on as my disciple!"

The kid looked shell-shocked. "What?"

"You heard me," she grinned, throwing an arm around the boy's shoulders. "As of today, I'm going to start teaching you everything I know. By the time I'm done with you, if SOLDIER don't want ya, the Turks will!"

The boy frowned. "But I really want to join SOLDIER…"

Yuffie grinned. "And that is the beauty of it." She waved a finger back and forth between the two of them. "You and me? We aren't built like tanks. We gotta use leverage, speed, and skill. I know how these army types train. They train big and stupid." She rapped on his head. "I'm going to teach you how to put your noggin to better use than just beating it against a wall."

"…Why?" the kid asked.

Yuffie shrugged with a smile. "Stress relief for me. Confidence boost for you."

The blond exhaled. "You're serious? You aren't just egging me on?"

Yuffie shook her head. "On my honor as a Ninja."

The kid looked at her and for the first time, cracked a smile. It was such a small smile, she almost missed it. "What do we do first?"

Yuffie put her fists on her hips. "Well, one of the keys to being a Ninja is _Ingenuity_." She grinned at him. "In order to become a ninja, you first need to learn to think like a ninja." She leaned closer, conspiratorially. "I want you to come up with a list of pranks. Can be against anyone, no holds barred."

The kid frowned. "How do I know you aren't just going to get me in trouble with this?"

She looked insulted. "You are my disciple! That goes against Ninja Trait #1: Loyalty to Your Fellow Ninja!" she patted him on the head and he frowned. "Don't worry. You aren't going to pull the pranks, just think of them."

"…and this is going to help me get into SOLDIER, how?"

"One step a time, my good lad, one step at a time." She went to pat his head again, but he quickly blocked her hand.

She chuckled. "That's more like it." She walked to the weapons rack, picked up the practice sword that he had been using and tossed it to him. He caught it clumsily, and luckily it was just dull wood. "Show me what stance you use."

He looked at her blankly. "…huh?"

She sighed and shook her head. "I shoulda known," she said to herself. "Take your ready position."

"…oh," he said and stood in a sloppy pose that left more openings than a Honeybee's Red-light special.

Yuffie frowned and took drew her own sword, taking a stance of her own. "This is a basic ninja stance. Copy me."

She led him through the steps of a beginner's kata. He followed along pretty well, with Yuffie stopping to correct him as needed. They repeated several times with him mimicking her.

"Good. That is one of the easiest kata's I can teach you. Now, try it on our own."

He nodded. "…Okay. Like this?" he said, following the same moves, raising his wooden sword above his head and bringing it downwards in a controlled strike.

She smirked. "That's good for now. Practice that, like… 50 more times. No… 100. Eh, let's make it 75."

The kid frowned. "This… doesn't seem like fighting," he complained, but continued to practice the swing.

Yuffie stepped back and watched his form. It wasn't bad for a beginner. "Remember, Blondie, I'm not teaching brute strength. I'm teaching you control, timing, movements, and concentration. Once you have these things, confidence is sure to follow." She smirked and rubbed a finger across her nose. "And then you can be just like me! The Great Yuri Kisaragi!"

The look that he gave her said that perhaps he didn't want to be just like the SOLDIER Third…

Her PHS beeped, and they both jumped. She checked the message and sighed. "No rest for the wicked," she said forlornly, then looked up at her disciple with a wry grin. "Well, I just got my first SOLDIER mission. Wish me luck, Blondie!"

She holstered her sword and slipped the phone into her back pocket. She almost got all the way to the door before the blond infantryman spoke up.

"Yuri…" he said.

"Hrm?" She paused and turned in the doorway.

"…Thanks."

She smirked and threw him a peace sign. "Hey, no prob, Blondie! Laters!"

She was halfway back to her own room before she realized that she didn't even know her own disciple's name.


	5. Intrigue meets Mystery

_Disclaimer. I don't own this story, this world, or the characters. I somewhat own Niels, but only in the fact that I named him._

* * *

 **[ ν ] - εγλ 0001- March.**

The SOLDIER Second Class pondered the closed and locked training room in front of him. Hojo, head of the science department had entered the room about an hour ago, and hadn't come out since. It made a guy wonder what he was up to in there.

He pulled out his PHS and typed a message to his buddy, Zack. _"Have you seen a guy wearing a white coat and glasses, with dark hair in a ponytail? That's Hojo, head of the Science Department. He rose to the top when he established the method of using Jenova cells to create SOLDIER operatives. It was more than 20 years ago that scientists vying for the top spot apparently had a mudslinging feud. Hojo is in the training room now. I wonder what he could be studying… Maybe I'll sneak into the training room later."_ He hit the send button, and then put the phone away.

If there was one thing Kunsel hated, it was not being in the know. Another thing he strongly disliked was taking chances without leaving a paper trail, metaphorically speaking. He'd seen enough people go 'missing' over his tenure at Shinra to know better than to go snooping without telling someone where he was going. Keeping up to date on the workings of the science department wasn't just good information… it was survival.

He pressed send and went to the lobby, positioning himself so that he could see both the door to the stair well and the elevators. Once Hojo left the floor, Kunsel would know it, and then he could go snoop around that training room. One of the benefits, he found, of always wearing your helmet was that no one ever knew for sure that you were looking at them. It came in handy when you just needed to hold up a wall and pretend to sleep while keeping a steady watch.

People thought that he was just a laid-back kind of guy – and he was, to an extent. A laid-back kind of guy who had all the information somehow.

Within the hour, Hojo entered one of the elevators. Kunsel watched as the red indicator above the elevator door stopped on the 68th floor. So the mad scientist had returned to his lair. The Second stretched and made his way to the now-vacant training room.

Only to find that it wasn't actually vacant. The door wasn't locked, according to the indicator above the latch, but he stopped and observed anyway. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary; it was just a regular Third Class soldier practicing a fairly advanced form of Wutaian swordsmanship. Okay, so that last bit was a bit odd. What SOLDIER practiced Wutaian forms?

He frowned and stepped from the door, opting instead to go through the side door and onto the observation deck. _What have we here?_ He whistled to himself at the number of gadgets set up around the small room. They all seemed to be recording the SOLDIER below, for some reason.

The lights in the training room dimmed, and Kunsel knew that the SOLDIER had initiated a VR training program. He expected the THIRD to pull his sword, but instead, he took out what appeared to be a throwing sickle of some sort. As the train scenario loaded, the SOLDIER fanned out the multiple blades of the weapon and locked them in place, making what looked like a pinwheel of death. He'd seen a Turk carrying a similarly shaped weapon before, but this was obviously not the same person.

One of the monitors in the room apparently was for pulse and heart rate. The rhythm picked up slightly as the SOLDIER charged his opponents, but not by much. Even in combat, he was fluid and calm. Like a ninja in SOLDIER clothing. He flew through the train-top part of the stage pretty quickly and advanced onto the cityscape portion while Kunsel tried to figure out what all of the equipment was for and why it was monitoring this particular SOLDIER. He could identify the components for audio and video recording, as well the basic medical monitoring equipment. Temperature, heart rate, pulse… probably all monitored through the VR headset. That still left a couple of other machines that he couldn't identify.

The SOLDIER below cleared the cityscape in record time and was now heading towards the central square portion. Kunsel paused. _Wait… wasn't there a…?_ The pulse monitor suddenly picked up wildly, and the Second looked at the VR monitoring screen. _Yep. There was a behemoth in this stage,_ Kunsel verified to himself as he pulled his sword and rushed to the Third Class's aid. Judging from the other SOLDIER's height, Kunsel was willing to bet that the Third was newly inducted, and most likely not up to Behemoth speed yet.

He entered the simulation quickly through the trainer's door and landed in the middle of the room, between the younger SOLDIER and the Behemoth. The later's surprised yelp was in an octave that completely threw the veteran SOLDIER off guard, just enough to almost miss getting his sword into a good block. As it was, he was off balance and though the behemoth's claws hit his sword instead of his back full-on, it knocked him prone to the ground and still hurt like hell.

The Third cursed and sped forward, tossing the throwing weapon with enough accuracy to hit one of the behemoth's eyes. It returned like a boomerang, and was caught effortlessly by the lithe fighter. The behemoth roared and Kunsel used its momentary distress to quickly pull himself back to his feet, this time managing to get his sword in place. He swung his sword low, sweeping the ground and sending a shock wave into the partially blinded behemoth that was quickly followed by a fira spell.

"Think I can take out the other eye?" the Third asked. Underneath the stress, Kunsel could hear the challenge in the SOLDIERs voice.

"Do it if you think you can," he supplied while he quickly dodged a charge. "I don't think it will stay still for you this time, though!"

"Meh." The SOLDIER sent another fireball flying past. "I have a better idea then!"

While Kunsel had the behemoth's attention, the Third raced to the side, drawing the sword from his back. With more speed and agility than the Second possessed, the smaller SOLDIER jumped onto the Behemoth's back and ran up its spine, coming down on its remaining eye, sword point down. It roared and reared back, nearly throwing the other SOLDIER off, but for his resolute hold on the sword now deeply embedded into the behemoth's eye socket.

On the second roar, however, the Third lost his hold on his sword and was flung from its back and off to the side, hitting the ground with a force that could have been a lot worse had he not rolled into the fall. While he regained a standing position, Kunsel launched an ice spell at the now raging behemoth to keep it distracted. He dodged another charge and winced at the pain in his back.

He glanced at the Third to check his position and saw him throw his arms out to the sides and then circled them to the north and south, before bringing them back to center. Once the upper hand reached chest level, a blue bubble formed around each of the SOLDIERs momentarily before dissipating.

Kunsel didn't have time to register how much better his back felt, because the blind behemoth was now charging wildly in the direction of the distracted combat healer. With as much speed as he could muster, he tackled the Third out of the behemoth's path. It hit the brick wall with a slick crunch and crumpled to the ground.

Kunsel sighed. At least that was over.

"Hey! Do you think you could get off of me now?"

He looked down apologetically and separated himself from the Third, snatching the VR set off of his… scratch that, _her_ head. He was willing to bet money on it, and Kunsel was not usually the betting type. He tossed the VR set across the room.

"He-" the female started to protest, but he cut her off with a hand on her mouth and a shake of his head. He pulled her to her feet and out the door to the nearest private room.

He looked around and made sure the area was secure, even checking over the protesting female SOLDIER for bugs, wires and recording devices. "Hey, stop that!" She complained, swatting his hands away.

Satisfied that their conversation would actually be private he complied. "Sorry." He insincerely apologized. "I was initially going to ask why you were being monitored by the Science department, but now I know why," he stated, checking out her eyes. The mako in her system actually made them appear to glow purple instead of the usual blue or green. He was also able to confirm that she was indeed Wutaian. It was amazing. A female Wutaian SOLDIER. That had to make her the rarest creature on the face of the planet. No wonder the Science department was interested.

She looked at him in confusion. "Yeah, you could be a _bit_ more vague," she said sarcastically. "What are you even talking about?"

The Second looked down at the shorter SOLDIER and shrugged. "Which part has you confused; the part where you were being monitored or the part where I'm referring to the fact that you're female?"

The sudden wave of panic, denial, and finally anger rushing across her face was amusing to watch. He could literally watch her formulating an exit strategy. The effort she made to school her face would have been less obvious to someone who wasn't used to reading facial expressions. "I didn't know that I was being monitored," she replied cooly, and then added, giving him a hard glare, "And call me female again and I'll rip out your tongue and force feed it back to you." So denial, was it?

For a brief second, he wondered if he had gotten it wrong. She was good at controlling her voice, except for when she was startled. She seemed to be naturally brusque and not very feminine in the mannerisms that he had seen so far. Her Wutaian heritage helped with the androgynous look that the SOLDIER Third had managed to pull off. At a casual glance, she looked like she wanted to: a young teenage SOLDIER, probably fresh from his first mako shots, based on the lack of height and muscle definition. On closer examination- and Kunsel was looking _very_ closely- he could see tell-tell signs of femininity; no Adam's apple, softer bone structure. She was still young, probably around sixteen or so, but in a few years she'd have a lot harder time pretending to be male. He shrugged. "Not female, huh? Well this misunderstanding is an easy fix." He crossed his arms and leaned forwards towards the shorter SOLDIER. "Prove it," he challenged with a smirk.

She went from white, to pink, to red, crossing her arms, trying not to be obvious about the fact that she was trying to hide her chest. "I-I-I-I don't th-think that should be necessary! Can't you just take my word for it?"

He shook his head, smirk changing to a full smile. "Insatiable curiosity. Sorry."

She gulped and took a deep breath, probably gaining her composure. After a moment, she leveled her purple gaze at him with a small amount of hidden fury. "Pervert." She let her arms drop and stuck a finger in his face, "So what do you plan to do with this information?"

"Nothing."

She blinked, letting her accusatory finger drop a few inches, and gaped at him. "Nothing?"

"Nope. Not a thing."

She sighed, crossing her arms and lowering her head in thought. After a moment, she looked back at him. "So is it that obvious? Am I screwed or what?"

He tapped his helmet. "No, it's not that obvious to most. My specialty is being observant. To be honest, if it hadn't been for a few key things, I never would have known," he answered honestly.

"What things?" she asked suspiciously.

He smirked. "First, you let out a pretty cute yelp when I surprised you with my rescue attempt."

She grumbled, "I coulda handled it."

"Sure you could've," he replied, not at all meaning it. "Secondly, when you fight, I can tell that you've been trained in a style that favors speed and agility over brute strength, which is more common in women. Now that could also have been the case if you were a young boy. To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure until I asked you to prove you weren't female."

"So, you're a freak and I should be fine keeping my alter ego," she prodded.

"For now," the SOLDIER Second nodded. "I am curious as to why- and how- you plan to keep up the ruse, though."

"Whatever. I'm the greatest damn ninja SOLDIER has ever seen," she haughtily replied, yanking open the door to leave. "I'm outta here." Just as quickly, he pushed the door closed, and held it, despite her pulling against it. She gave him an exasperated look. "Do you mind? In case you haven't noticed, we are standing in a supply closet."

He didn't even look around. "So I've noticed," he shrugged. "I still have questions. Think of it as payment for my silence."

Her eyebrow arched skeptically. Kunsel regarded the female SOLDIER and could only imagine the thought processes that she was going through. He could imagine that convenience in itself was reason enough to play the game she was playing, but for what reason would a teenage girl want to play SOLDIER? When he only smiled back she blew out an exaggerated sigh. "Fine. Sector three. There's a Wutainese joint there that has killer food, loud karaoke, and private booths. Meet me there in two hours."

He grinned. "Sounds like a date." The grin she barely hid did not inspire confidence, however. He was willing to bet that she was trying to give him the slip. "But only if you give me your name, first," he added.

Just as he'd called it, she frowned. He could practically see her debating it out with herself. Soon, she relented. "Yuri Kisaragi." She held out her hand.

He accepted it and gave it a firm shake. "Kunsel Harringer. Nice to meet you." He released the handle and let her pass.

She turned back to address him once they were both clear of the room. "Don't think that just because you technically outrank me that I'm going to be a pushover!" she challenged, one hand on her hip, and the other pointed at him accusinigly. She threw down a small ball that exploded into a cloud of smoke, probably to save face. When Kunsel could finally see again she was gone, most likely having gone back to the training room probably to get her helmet and blades. Shaking his head wryly, he headed towards the elevators, a slight grin of amusement growing on his face.

* * *

"Give me the readouts from today's experiments," Hojo barked at the lab assistant.

The man complied quickly, providing the requested papers to Hojo's cold hands. Through Hojo's thick spectacles, the assistant noticed the glint in the head scientist's eyes. It was a look that he was used to seeing by now, after the years that he'd spent in the labs, and he knew that it was a look that meant Hojo liked what he saw. When Hojo liked something, it meant further experiments. Further experiments meant longer hours. And longer hours meant that someone was going to have a bad day, week, month, or year.

"The experimental J-strain seem to be having an effect. From marker 135.84s to marker 289.43s there was a significant increase in the subject's active mako levels," the assistant noted. He knew that his boss would already have noted this, but in the assistant's experience, it was always a wise decision to let the senior scientist know that he did as well. "Useless" assistants didn't stay assistants for long.

Hojo handed the papers back to the assistant and smirked. "Continue to monitor and keep me informed of any changes." The younger scientist suppressed the urge to let out a relieved sigh when Hojo started to walk away, hands behind his back. Then the department head paused. "When is Specimen Y's next mission?"

The assistant turned to click a few buttons on the computer and pulled up a file on the screen. "In two days. Monster extermination in the Kalm area, professor."

"Put in an order to Veld. I want one of those Turks on surveillance."

Once Hojo was out of the room, the scientist pulled up the memo system and typed in the request. He attached Subject Y's company profile to the memo, pausing to take a brief look at the grinning face on the ID picture. Would that smile still be present once Hojo's testing was concluded? He shook his head and pressed the send button. It wasn't any of his business, anyway.

* * *

 _AN: I heart Kunsel. :) I just couldn't see how something as odd as Yuffie could miss Kunsel's notice! I hope the interaction was okay with all those other Kunsel lovers out there..._

 _Also... *insert evil Hojo chuckle here*_


	6. Pest Control

_Disclaimer: If I owned FF7 or any of it's offspring, there would have been a DDR game in Wonder Square. Since there wasn't, I obviously don't own FF7._

* * *

Yuffie frowned as she played with her shuriken in a corner of the infantry training room. She checked the time on her PHS. It was fifteen minutes until the time she had told that "Kunsel" character to meet her.

"What a strange guy," she said to herself.

"Huh?" the room's other occupant asked, pausing the kata that he had been practicing. Shortly after Yuffie's encounter with Kunsel, she had managed to hunt down her disciple and drag him off to the infantry training room. There was no better place to hide without actually hiding.

"It's nothin, Blondie. Just trying to solve a pest problem," she answered. The second class SOLDIER was trouble, she just knew it. Sure, he had said that he wouldn't blab, but the ninja was neither ready nor willing to trust an employee of Shinra. Sooner or later, he'd try to use the info he had against her, she just knew it. Meeting with him was problematic. He already knew too much – which was anything at all, in Yuffie's opinion. And he was way too observant for her taste. A real pest, indeed.

Her disciple put his practice sword on the rack. "My name's not "Blondie", Yuri. Or "Chocobo brains" or "Loco Choco", or "Bed head"." He sat down next to his teacher in a huff. "We've been over this. Its "Cloud"," He enunciated. "Say it with me: "Cl-ooou-d".

She swatted at him with smirk. "Cheeky brat." In the past few weeks, he'd loosened up around her, and was a lot more vocal, even witty at times. His humor was dry, but that was okay. It was better than no humor.

He fended off the smack with his forearm and gave Yuffie a small smile. "Can I help?"

"Huh?" it was Yuffie's turn to ask.

The blonde cadet crossed his legs in front of him and leaned back, looking thoughtfully at the ceiling. "You said you were trying to solve a pest problem. Can I help?"

She shook her head. "Not sure." She twirled her shuriken and thought. It was comforting to have her old familiar weapon in her hands, especially after today's encounter. Could Cloud help? Well, she'd thought about using bribery, blackmail, or assassination already, but had dismissed each of those already. She was broke, had no dirt on the guy, and killing him would raise to many questions within the company. Shoot, she didn't even know what the guy's face looked like. Only that he had a very irksome smile.

Suddenly, she got an idea. A wonderful, awful idea. Her grin was slightly manic, and it made the younger infantryman nervous. If that Soldier Second thought that he was going to bully her into divulging her secrets, he had something else coming his way. "Okay, disciple-mine, I think I know how you can help. Let me see the list."

Slightly confused as to how his list of pranks could help, Cloud pulled a folded paper out of his pocket and handed it over eagerly. He looked slightly embarrassed. "I've been adding to it in my free time," he said sheepishly.

Yuffie looked over the list appraisingly. It started off simple enough with the standard pranks- buckets of water rigged over doors, hand buzzers, things like that- but towards the end things got… creative.

"How are we going to get a hold of enough balls to fill a training room?" she asked, intrigued with the idea. The very thought of watching some poor sap open the door only to be greeted with a cascade of plastic balls was enticing. She didn't wait for him to answer. "Oh, wait, I really like this one. It's quite do-able."

The blonde infantryman looked over her shoulder and gulped. "You mean you actually want to do that one? And that will help with your pest problem?"

Yuffie grinned maniacally. "Nope. I want you to do this one, Blondie. And yes, it'll be a great pest deterrent."

He looked to Yuffie like he was about to faint. "But… Yuri…"

She shook her head. "No buts! This is ninja lesson number two: bravery. Don't worry; I'll be with you every step of the way on this ninja mission." The younger infantryman seemed to gain a little bit more color, but still seemed anxious. No pain, no gain, Yuffie thought. Besides, she'd make sure he succeeded, and completing a difficult 'mission' would improve the kid's self esteem.

"And this will help you with your pest?" he asked. She nodded, and he relaxed completely. "Ninja lesson number one is loyalty, right? I'm in," he grinned.

"Thanks, kiddo," she said, ruffling the blonde's hair in appreciation. Absently, she noticed that he seemed to have grown an inch since she'd met him. She shook the thought out of her head. "We'll discuss the details about that later." She stood up and walked to the weapon rack, putting down her shuriken and picking up a pair of practice swords. She tossed Cloud's back to him. "Show me what progress you've made."

She went to the middle of the room and took a stance. He stood and followed, matching the stance that she had taught him. The meeting time came and went while she worked with him through the next half an hour, running through the old kata, and then teaching him a new one.

By Yuffie's estimation, the kid was a natural, and seemed to pick up swordsmanship easily. It just further proved that his issue was indeed self esteem. When they were alone, he performed the motions perfectly, but the moment someone entered or knocked on the door, or was spotted in the observation deck, the kid locked up. She didn't want to teach him to block out his surroundings, because she wanted him to do just the opposite in combat, but…

She was halfway through teaching him the new kata when her phone chimed, making her disciple jump. She frowned at him apologetically and looked at it. It was an unknown number. She hit the green button. "Yuri speaking," she answered.

" _You wouldn't happen to be thinking about standing me up, now, would you?_ " the amused voice said on the other side of the phone.

Cloud leaned his head to the side and looked questioningly at his unconventional mentor, reminding her even more of the bird that he seemed to imitate. Yuffie's reply was both shocked and clipped. "How did you get this number?"

Kunsel chuckled on the other side of the call. " _I have my ways. I was actually a little concerned that you had given me a fake name, so I did some digging. Getting a number wasn't hard."_

"So, you think to harass the Azure Dragon of SOLDIER, Yuri Kisaragi?" She said haughtily into the phone, instinctively striking a pose, even though her nemesis could not see it. Cloud raised an eyebrow at her self-styled moniker, but she ignored it.

" _Hmm, harassment wasn't on my agenda, but I really think that we should talk, regardless,"_ Kunsel replied ever the voice of reason.

Yuffie scowled. "Well, I don't. And as long as you don't talk, we'll never have to. Ciao." And she hung up.

Cloud's face was concerned. "Your pest?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yep," she replied. Pocketing the phone and holding the practice sword back up. "I may need to deal with him before he becomes really bothersome." She grinned at her apprentice. "Remember: No one messes with a ninja. We'll always get our payback and they'll never see it coming."

Cloud's smile wasn't really happy, but it was thoughtful. He lifted his practice sword as well, entering the beginning stance of the new kata. They moved through the steps, with Yuffie pausing to correct his sword angle only once. They tried one more time, from start to finish. On the last move, Cloud brought his wooden sword down towards Yuffie's head, stopping just shy of her skull. Her wooden sword was just to the left of his torso. Yuffie smirked at him. "I think you got this kata. Let's run through it one more time and see if you can finish it without me having to correct anything."

He grinned back and took his starting position again, but before they could start, Yuffie's phone buzzed loudly as she got a new message.

 _I know you don't want to talk, but if the science department is looking into you, you might need me. –Kunsel._

Yuffie looked at the phone again and frowned.

 _Fine. Be there in a half hour. –Y.K._

She pressed send, snapped the phone shut with a frown and lowered her sword, prompting Cloud to do the same. "Looks like we need to step up our time frame for pest control. You with me?"

The apprentice swordsman nodded. "A month ago, I thought that you were just talking when you said you'd train me, but you've been helping me out almost every day since, unless one of us is on duty. It's really… well, what I mean to say is…" he took a deep breath. "You've been a really cool guy. Thanks. And if you need me, I'm with you one hundred percent."

Yuffie was momentarily shocked. This was like a whole speech from the usually quiet and reserved ninja-in-training. A wide grin slowly grew on her face. She lost the fight with her will power and pulled the adorable chocobo-head into a bear hug. "Awe, thanks, Blondie!"

He struggled against his mentor, which was harder than he expected thanks to Yuffie's enhancements, but she got the hint and let him go. Still smiling, she tucked the practice sword under her arm and pulled out the list of pranks that Cloud had written. "Ready to get started on the game plan?"

He returned the grin, nodding wordlessly as he took the practice sword from her. He put both wooden swords away before joining her on the floor. Yuffie had used her phone to pull up the employee directory. "Okay, I don't have long," she copied down a room number. "We are going to instigate plan number 13. I'm going to keep the target occupied. Send me a text once you have completed the objective. We will rendezvous here to confirm objectives." She handed him the room number and what appeared to be a particularly haggard piece of metal. "This 'key' should fit in most doors on the soldier floor. I made it myself," she added proudly.

Cloud's fist closed around the 'key'. "What should I do if I get caught?"

The SOLDIER Third looked the infantryman in the eye. "You won't. I double checked the registry, and no one else is in that room. Lock the door behind you, and the only person who can get in is the one I'm keeping occupied. If someone questions you in the hall, you are delivering a package to SOLDIER Second Class, Kunsel, from SOLDIER Third Class Yuri. It will explain the box and why you are on the hall. If you do get in a real jam, text me immediately and I'll come to your rescue."

Cloud nodded, a new look of determination on his face. "Yes, sir."

"So serious," she grinned toothily. "Make Uncle Yuri proud!" She held out her fist.

He bumped it with his own. "You can count on me."

She jumped up and stretched, pumping a fist into the air. "Let's teach this SOLDIER Second not to mess with Ninjas!"

She and Cloud left the training room and went their separate ways. She couldn't help but grin. She was a little worried for him, but she was also proud of her little Cloud. He was starting to come out of his shell. She was also torn. Sure, he wanted to join SOLDIER, and he was a Shinra infantryman, but in the month that she had known him, she'd learned of his dreams and aspirations. He wanted to be a hero, and prove himself to the people back home. She could relate.

If he had grown up in Wutai, he probably would have had aspirations to join the Crescent Unit instead. He had plenty of loyalty, and he was proving it right now by stepping out of his comfort zone and doing something potentially hazardous for her. Actually, he was proving his loyalty to Yuri, SOLDIER Third Class, not Yuffie, the ninja of Wutai. Still… Yuffie couldn't help but feel a tightening in her gut as she watched the head of bright blonde hair vanish around the corner.

Had she really earned his loyalty? She really didn't know, and it bugged her.

* * *

She was five minutes late, and the sun was starting to set. The restaurant was in the middle of the Little Wutai District of Sector Three, hidden amongst the rows of red lanterns, fake replicas of Leviathan, and side walk vendors selling knock off charms and wards. This particular restaurant had a large sign advertising "Karaoke – Authentic Wutai Cuisine – Cute Girls". She shook her head at the sign and removed her helmet before she entered.

The hostess recognized her right away and greeted her with a wide smile. "Yuri-kun! It is good to see you again so soon!"

Yuffie couldn't help but grin. "Hello, Sakura-san," she replied, craning her neck to peek around the corner. "Is there another SOLDIER here? Second Class? Purple Uniform?"

Sakura's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "So you are the SOLDIER friend he's been waiting for?" She gave Yuffie a disappointed look. "You should be ashamed for making your friend wait so long. Come," she said, waving for Yuffie to follow her. The SOLDIER Third pulled out her phone as she did.

 _Mission Commence. –Y.K._

After pressing the send button, the younger Wutaian sheepishly scratched her cheek and put away her phone. "Yeah, I know, Sakura-san. Sorry about that. I hope he wasn't any trouble."

The hostess shook her head. "Not at all! He is very polite. Sang a few songs, drank some tea. Speaks good Wutainese."

This last bit surprised Yuffie. "Huh."

Sakura led her to the last booth. "Make sure to apologize appropriately, Yuri-kun," she admonished.

"I will, thanks," the ninja replied.

Sakura smiled. "The usual?" she said in way of acknowledgement.

"Not this time, but thanks." Pot stickers and jasmine tea would just have to wait.

With a nod, the hostess left. Yuffie looked at the door to the karaoke booth and took a deep breath before entering. The booth was set up like a mini room with benches on either side and a long table in the middle. On the wall opposite the door was a screen and a karaoke machine, attached to four microphones. Kunsel was seated on the right hand side of the room, taking a sip of tea while reading something on his PHS. Yuffie let the door close behind her. Even with the door firmly shut, she could still hear the beat of another karaoke machine elsewhere.

"You weren't kidding when you said good food and loud karaoke," he said as he put away his PHS, looking up at her with what she had come to recognize as his trademark smile. Yuffie was beginning to suspect that the smile was just as much a mask as the helmet that he constantly wore. It annoyed her to no end.

She crossed her arms and glared at him, setting her own helmet down on the left hand bench. "Don't you know it's rude to wear your helmet in a restaurant?"

Kunsel leaned his head to the side for a moment and thought about that. "I guess it is, isn't it," he replied. "You know, I'm known as that weird SOLDIER who never takes his helmet off back at Shinra." He took off his helmet and ran his fingers through his dark black hair, grinning sheepishly. "I guess that makes you one of the select few to know what I look like under the hood."

Completely missing the opportunity for an off color joke, Yuffie stared at the navy blue glow of the _slightly slanted_ eyes that grinned up at her. "Y-y-you're _Wutaian_?!" She pointed a finger at his face, not even bothering to keep the shock out of her voice.

He shrugged. "Half, actually. Mom was from Wutai, but I grew up in Kalm." He motioned to the bench across from him. "Want to sit down, or are you going to stand all night?"

She shook her head and pocketed the shock as she sat down and looked at the young man sitting across from her. He seemed to be gauging her reaction, so she tried her best not to give one. For one, she wasn't entirely certain that her natural reaction wouldn't be overwhelmingly negative. It was bad enough that he was a Shinra SOLDIER. But he was at least part Wutaian and was _still_ a member of SOLDIER. That was even worse. Sure, he was what Yuffie pretended to be, but for him to actually willingly join SOLDIER felt like a betrayal to the hierarchy and Leviathan himself.

She took a deep breath and put more thought into it. He grew up in Kalm. He was like Cloud, maybe. He didn't grow up in Wutai, so he probably didn't identify with that culture as much. He did have some decidedly non-Wutaian features, like his blue eyes. Full Wutaian's didn't have blue eyes. They were dark browns, blacks. Yuffie had always thought that her eyes were nearly black until the mako brought out the purple in them. Kunsel's eyes were almost a luminous cobalt.

He wasn't actually Wutaian. She could get through this without loosing her cool as long as she told herself that. She had to at least pretend that her dislike of him stemmed from nothing more than his unfortunate knowledge of her true gender. She had to get her point across and make it through this until Cloud sent the "all clear".

* * *

As much as Yuri was studying Kunsel, he was studying her just as much. The Wutaian side of his heritage had been nothing but a plague on him in the early years of his training. The war had just been starting back then, and people were distrustful of anyone with an even slightly Wutaian heritage. Kunsel, with his skin tone, hair and eyes, despite their color, looked almost totally Wutaian. Because of that, he'd developed the habit of always wearing his helmet. He had absolutely no Wutaian accent to speak of, even though he knew the language thanks to his mother, so he was just like everyone else once he donned the helm.

He had hoped that revealing his heritage would have helped ease the Wutaian girl. Instead, he almost missed the flash of anger that she quickly locked down under her mask of confusion. It was an interesting reaction. He noted it, but didn't let on that he noticed. "Nothing to say?" he asked with a hint of amusement in his voice. She didn't seem like the type to sit still – or quiet – for long.

She proved him right by drumming her fingers on the table, while tapping her foot at the same time. "Whatever," she sassed. "I just wanted you to leave me alone. You're the one who wanted to talk, so get with the talking, Buttercup."

He arched an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Well, I wasn't kidding when I said that something was up with the science department. They are studying you for some reason, and that has trouble written all over it." Leaning forward with his elbows on the table, he added, "And to be completely honest, I want to know more about you, myself."

The tapping stopped as third class frowned and blushed slightly. "I don't know why you want to know anything about me. I'm not _that_ interesting."

Kunsel shrugged. "I don't know about that. Being the first female SOLDIER ever is pretty interesting. Plus, having another Wutaian in the ranks is definitely of interest to me."

"So what if I don't feel like sharing?" Yuri replied with a challenging lilt to her voice. He grinned.

"Tell you what," he replied, putting his helmet on the table and tapping it, "Thanks to this baby, you are probably one of the few people in SOLDIER who know I'm part Wutaian. Is it safe to assume that I'm the only one in SOLDIER who knows you are female?"

She nodded. "Yep," she replied with a smidge of pride. "Not even my roommate knows."

Kunsel had to admit that was impressive. "How on Gaia did you manage that?"

This time, her prideful smirk was on full blast. "I'm the best ninja Shinra has ever seen, the Secret Sapphire of SOLDIER! Hiding my true identity is child's play!"

And with that amount of hubris, he was surprised that she had gotten this far.

"So, in other words, you either woke up much earlier or went to bed much later than everyone else," Kunsel guessed.

That took the wind out of Yuri's sails and she settled back down. "Er… the first one…" she admitted.

He chuckled and shook his head. She was silly, but she also seemed very earnest and proud of what she could do. She almost reminded him of someone else that he knew. She was like a kitten, though; a skittish, playful, energetic, distrusting kitten. With Claws.

His plan might hopefully get the kitten to play nicely. "How about this: In the spirit of our shared secrets, for every question of mine that you answer, you get to ask me one back."

She considered it, giving him an appraising look. Once he had successfully resisted the urge to squirm, she nodded. "Okay, you got a deal," she replied, holding out a hand.

He shook it and asked right away. "Okay, how old are you?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Your first question and that is what you ask me?"

He nodded. "Yep. I told you, I'm curious. And you haven't answered yet."

She sighed. "Sixteen." Two years older than her paperwork, he noted. "You?"

He lifted an eyebrow. "I thought that question was too easy for a first question," he teased.

"Whatever, I'm just softening you up for the tough stuff," she shrewdly replied.

"Eighteen," he obliged. "Favorite food?"

"Meat," she answered vaguely. "Mortal weakness."

"Paperwork," he answered wholeheartedly. "Favorite color?"

"Green." She put her hands behind her head and leaned back. "Least favorite color?"

"Hrm. I'd have to say Yellow. Favorite book?"

She grinned. "I don't read. AKA: ones with lots of pictures." She thought for a moment. "Okay, worst pet peeve."

He hesitated. He was sensing a pattern here… "Unfinished patterns…" he admitted, though not very readily. He decided to pull out the big question he wanted to ask. "Why did you join SOLDIER?"

"Honor and Glory," she replied without a hint of dishonesty, though he doubted that was the whole story. "Same question, back at you." She seemed serious this time, as if she actually wanted to know.

"A steady paycheck," he also replied honestly, also leaving out the whole story. "Why hide the fact that you're female?"

The look she gave him said that the answer should be obvious. He was not quite prepared for the tirade to follow.

"You're kidding right?" The blue clad SOLDIER started. "No female has ever been inducted into SOLDIER before. It's a male dominated society." She gestured wildly with her hands. "Could you even imagine all the sexist crap I'd have to put up with if all of my drill instructors had known I was female? Much less my fellow recruits! It would have been a nightmare!" She continued, making a talking hand puppet with her fist while she mimicked male society in general using a falsetto voice. "'You can't do it! You're a girl!', and 'Who'd you sleep with to get promoted?', and the ever popular 'You don't have talent, you just have boobs!'…" she paused, then exclaimed. "Which I don't!"

Entirely unbidden, Kunsel couldn't help investigating that claim, which led Yuri to kicking him under the table. "Sorry," he said, while wincing and rubbing his shin. She had one hell of a kick.

"Whatever," she dismissed looking away. "It's my question, anyway." She thought for a moment and frowned. "Meh. Rain check. You owe me a question later."

"Okay," he agreed. "But can I ask you one more question?"

She raised a distrusting eyebrow, but shrugged, holding up two fingers. "Yeah sure, but you'll owe me two."

There was just one real question left to ask, that he thought he could possibly get an answer to. "What's your real name?"

Yuri sighed and shook her head. "Ugh, I am sooooo disappointed in your choice of questions. Pass."

Kunsel chuckled. "That's a strange name."

She shrugged. "It doesn't matter, anyway. Technically speaking, 'Yuri' is my real name."

"But not your birth name," he surmised.

"Not that I'm telling you," she replied before sticking her tongue out at him. It was childish, and Kunsel found it somewhat endearing. Yuri really reminded him of Zack. Maybe he should introduce the two. That would probably signal the end of all seriousness in SOLDIER, actually. With the exception of recent events, Zack was truly a hyperactive puppy. Yuri cleared her throat. She sounded nonchalant when she spoke, but Kunsel could see the slight worry in her eyes. "So… why do you care if the Science Department is looking in on me?"

He smiled. "If I answer, will that make us even for questions?"

She shook her head vehemently. "Nuh uh, no way. You owe me two. It's not my fault your second question was stupid. Yuri is my legal name. This will take you back down to one."

He exaggerated the disappointment in his sigh. "Awe, man. You are a cut-throat negotiator, Yuri Kisaragi."

She smirked. "And don't you forget it, Kunsel Harringer. Now answer my question." The way she said his name almost sounded like an insult.

He shrugged but was quiet for a moment while he formulated his answer. He actually hadn't told himself that yet. "I guess…" he started, "I guess I just don't want to see anyone else vanish." He picked up his helmet and leaned back, examining it while he gathered his thoughts. "To be honest, there's a lot of strange stuff going on, particularly around the Science Department. First class SOLDIERs don't just vanish without a reason, and I know for a fact that the ones who vanished had regular appointments, and not just for the normal mako boosters."

"Who else vanished?" Yuri asked, sounding genuinely curious, if not concerned.

"SOLDIER Seconds, like me, and Thirds. Several were people that I knew who wouldn't just up and leave without a good reason." He looked into Yuri's violet eyes and tried his best to impart the seriousness of what was going on. "It is quite possible that Hojo is looking for a new pet project. I've heard horror stories about Hojo's pet projects, and I'd hate to see you become one."

The silence that fell over the table was palpable. Apparently, the idea of becoming a science project was enough to mollify even the irascible Yuri. Not that Kunsel could blame her.

Her PHS vibrated and was loud enough in the silence to cause both of them to jump.

Yuri chuckled uneasily, and then checked the device. Kunsel watched the SOLDIER third look over the message, grin, and then do a complete one-eighty. "Sweet! Well, sharing info was fun and all, but it's about time I vamoosed." She went to snatch up her helmet, but his hand grabbed hers.

She narrowed her eyes at him in warning, but he held on anyway, meeting her stern gaze. "Seriously, Yuri, if the Science Department has it out for you, you are going to need help. Please trust me."

She snatched her hand back, and this time he let it go. "Dunno about that, Kun-kun." Her tone was somewhat mocking. She gave him a cheesy grin. "Laters!"

He gaped at her retreating back and called after her. "Did… did you just make a pun out of my name?"

"Mwa ha ha ha!" was the only reply that came retreating from around the corner.

Yep, he was definitely going to have to watch that one.

* * *

 _AN: Okay, so this one was a lot longer than I anticipated! I love Kunsel. He is my absolute favorite. In playing with Yuffie's character, I realized that she really is like a kitten compared to Zack's puppy persona. Maybe Kun-kun needs a menagerie. :D_

 _I think we may need to look in on how Cloud did next chapter!_


	7. Unwanted Rescue

_Thanks for all the great reviews! I am so glad this is meeting and in some cases exceeding expectations. :D_

 _JeJe: I am planning on taking this through the OG time line, though because the story becomes less Yuffie centric there, I might spin that off into its own story. I haven't decided yet, but this Tale of Yuffie has a LONG way to go until completion. I still need to decide whether or not to save or kill off several characters, particularly those who were not in the base game. I've also had plot bunnies breeding again, and I'm not sure if the offspring are viable or not…_

 _JeJe and Guest: Kunsel and Yuffie are growing on me too, though I'm pretty supportive of almost all Yuffie parings… I don't know what is going to last though base game time line, but I'm letting all relationships develop naturally. Don't want any contrived romances here! Yuffie is too good for that. :D_

 _And a DISCLAIMER as always: I don't own Yuffie, Kunsel, or anything FF7! If I did, the game would be full of Tribbles… er… Plot Bunnies. O wait…. NVM. Still don't own it._

* * *

"Hey, Yuri!" Niels yelled down the hall after her as she walked towards the elevator. She paused and turned back to him with a broad grin.

"What's up, Niels?" she responded.

He jogged over to his fellow Third. "Me and some of the others are going to that bar on Loveless Avenue for drinks later. Care to join us?"

That actually sounded really good, but she crossed her arms anyway. "Niels, we're underage. If you've forgotten, I'm only fourteen, and you're fifteen."

The Teenage Third smiled. "That's the beauty of it, Yuri! They don't card you if you are in a SOLDIER uniform." He put a hand pleadingly on Yuffie's shoulder. "Come on, man, It'll be fun!"

Since the last mako shot, the other new recruits had come into their growth spurts. Even Yuri had gained an inch and a half of height, though she was fairly certain that was where she was going to stay, mako or no. She could definitely see the other Thirds passing as older. "What the hell, I'm in," she grinned. "I might be late, though. I just got a mission down in the Slums. Shouldn't take long."

"Alright!" the Icelander pumped his fist. "I'll let the other's know. See you later!

"Laters," Yuri replied, throwing a peace sign as she entered the elevator. Once the door closed and she was alone again, she pulled up her messages again.

" _All Wutai Agents:_

 _A Shinra Informant has contacted us requesting immediate evacuation. All available agents are to provide back up and assistance at the Sector Two Slums Warehouse at 1800 hours. Memorize and Delete."_

Reading the message one last time, she hit the delete button and smiled. This was going to be a fun evening, and maybe she'd actually have something to celebrate later when she joined all the other SOLDIER's, even if she was the only one truly celebrating.

* * *

Kunsel checked the inside of his helmet for the third time before finally slipping it on. He hadn't had to be this careful getting dressed since his days as a fresh recruit.

Eleven days ago, he had discovered gysal greens in his pockets. Even after emptying out his uniform, he still smelled like a chocobo corral. On the upside, it had made it easier to get a ride to Kalm, but on the downside, the bird wouldn't leave him alone afterward.

Six days ago, he'd picked up his uniform to find that someone had glued all the buttons closed. He had a fun time explaining that one to the requisitions officer. After that, he'd requested the physical locks and digital keys be changed.

Two days ago, He had picked up his clothes from the cleaners to find that his pants had inexplicably been bleached to a pinkish color. So much for changing the locks.

His clothes were not the only things under fire. Last week, he'd had a fun time taking down wanted posters of his helmet. They had been hung up every three feet on every wall surface from the 3rd Class dining hall to the 1st Class training rooms. That task was made harder by his fellow SOLDIERS who actually tried to cash in on the bounty. It was a true test of skill that he evaded them all, including a very energetic Zack, who really seemed amused by the joke.

Middle of last week, someone had somehow changed all the icons on is PHS to be pictures of cat faces. He suspected Turk involvement on that one, though now he wasn't sure.

And this was all after the major incident two full weeks ago, when he had returned from his 'date' with Yuri to find that every surface in his room, which had been securely locked both leaving and returning, had been wrapped with Tin Foil, all the way down to each individual pillow on his bed, book on his shelf, and pencil on his desk. Midst all that had been a quickly scrawled note saying "To Kunsel, Good Luck. -Yuri" A winking figure holding up the peace sign was sketched next to it.

Two weeks later, and he still hadn't figured out how she had done it. All he knew was that each incident had been preceded by attempts to talk to or about Yuri. In fact, the PHS incident had simply followed a web search about the sly little ninja in SOLDIER clothing.

Something gave him the feeling that she wanted to be left alone. He smirked. She clearly didn't understand him if she thought a flurry of pranks was going to keep him from the information he wanted.

Fully outfitted, he attached his sword to the magnetic holster on his back and locked the door behind him, double checking that it was actually locked. Satisfied, he finally headed to the briefing room. Once he had pressed the button to call the elevator, his PHS chimed. It was the tone reserved for important news bulletins, so he flipped the device open and clicked the button, reading as he waited.

" _Victory for Shinra!_

 _Peace talks have concluded as of 10:30 this morning. Nine year old Sasame-no-Himemiko has been named the 89th hierarch of Wutaia, under the guidance of her mother, High Priestess Izayoi. Permanent Shinra outposts are to be established throughout the Wutai Region immediately, while plans for a Wutaian Mako reactor have been postponed, to be resumed after the hierarch has reached majority. In the meantime, a taxation schedule has been imposed on the surrendering country."_

The elevator dinged as the doors opened and Kunsel put his PHS away while stepping in. The bulletin was company wide, so Yuri had to have received it as well. He wondered how she was taking it…

The elevator dinged again, and the doors opened to reveal Zack's face.

"Hey, Zack," he greeted, mind still on Yuri's possible reaction. Was she still attached enough to her home country to care about the war's outcome? Would she be depressed right now, or happy that the war was over? From watching her during their meeting, he was willing to bet that she still had some attachment to her previous home, though she tried hard not to show it. He really wanted to ask her, preferably without waking up with a snake in his bed. "So, the war's over…" he said to his friend.

Zack grinned. "Yeah. Did you hear about all I did?"

Kunsel almost didn't want to spoil it for his fellow Second, but the truth was the truth. "The company reports don't mention you at all. And the TV news only talks about 'Sephiroth's remarkable bravery."

As expected, the puppy's shoulders drooped. "But Sephiroth was with B unit…" he whined.

The well-informed Second shrugged and told it how he saw it. "Heroes are chosen by the media, that's just how it is." After two weeks of run-ins with his pet Third, he was glad Zack wasn't being hailed as the Hero. He could just imagine Yuri's reaction if she found out that he was best friends with the guy largely responsible for some of Wutai's largest forces collapsing.

"Thanks for crushing my dreams…" Zack sulked. If only he knew how close to disaster he'd come, thought Kunsel.

"Oh, come on! Cheer up, will ya?" he said, patting his friend on the shoulder.

Zack shook his head and entered the elevator as Kunsel left it. "Man, oh man," he seemed to say to himself, then waved. "Later, Kunsel,"

The Second waved again silently as the elevator closed. Finally he turned and continued to the Briefing room to get his next mission. Once there, he downloaded the mission brief and read over it. So… he was on Spy Bust duty, huh? He frowned as he read the details. Eliminate the Wutai Spies, Sector Two warehouse, 18:00.

* * *

Yuffie quickly finished off the monster extermination that she had been scheduled for in the slums and sent in her mission report via PHS. Her enemy this time had been some abomination that she had never seen before. They had seemed like a mutated mix of a wolf and a scorpion. She popped the top off an antidote and downed it, curing the poison that it had inflicted towards the end of their battle. She had originally planned on healing herself with her limit break but instead of healing, she had up-heaved the ground instead, and killed the monster. She was thinking of calling the move "Landscaper." It had a pleasant ring to it…

With that done, she strolled one sector over to the sublet apartments. With her SOLDIER pay, she was able to keep one for herself pretty easy at slum prices. It was the place that she came to be herself and do the girly things that even she liked to do sometimes, without fear of being walked in on or found out. It was also where she kept the correspondence from home, under her original name. She also had begun to amass a feminine wardrobe here, for cases when she needed to not be recognized. Like tonight.

She slipped up to her room and unlocked the door with her key, locking the door back behind her, and slipping back to the bathroom after pulling an outfit out of the closet. An hour later, she ran her hair through her new extensions, making sure that the fake strands blended seamlessly with her natural, though shorter, hair, so that the feathered under layer naturally curled towards her face. She put on makeup, lining her eyes with thick black eyeliner and donning a dark red lipstick that contrasted nicely with her skin tone. The effect was that from the neck up, she looked like a whole new person, and entirely female. She slipped on a black headband, blazoned with the symbol of Leviathan.

Her SOLDIER Uniform was replaced with a tight black tank top and cut off cargo shorts. With a new bra and forgoing the bandages, the overall effect accentuated her chest instead of hiding it. Slipping on knee high black boots and black mesh gloves, she looked like just about any other female slum rat. Pulling her oversized shuriken out from under the bed, she replaced her hardedge and flying sickle. It wasn't as powerful as her new weapons, but it did have three materia slots and wouldn't identify her as SOLDIER. She had never been more thankful for the unusual purple glow of her eyes until tonight.

Now disguised as a girl - and it was funny how that worked - Yuffie climbed out her window and slipped unnoticed onto the rooftops of the slums. She traversed paths that only slum rats, ninjas, and spies knew, making her way, unseen to the warehouse in the Sector Two slums.

* * *

Kunsel crouched on the top of a nearby building, scanning the slum streets with a pair of night vision binoculars. As he scanned, he saw a green blur pass across his field of vision, alerting him that he was not alone on these rooftops. He adjusted the focus and scanned the rooftops this time.

"Well, damn," he said with feeling as he caught sight of a somewhat familiar female. He zoomed in to verify. "Double damn," he added, drawing his sword and chasing after her along the rooftops. Hopefully, he caught her before she reached her goal. She was fast, though, and he doubted he'd be that lucky.

* * *

She slipped in through a top floor window that had been busted out, probably years ago, and lowered herself down onto an access beam. Unstrapping her shuriken and holding it ready, she took in the scene below her.

In the middle of the room stood a well dressed and rather nervous looking man. That was probably the informant. Talking with him were a couple of armed men. Though dressed as infantry, they had both taken off their helmets to talk to the informant and Yuffie could see that they both wore Leviathan headbands much like she did. Fellow Wutai loyalists, then.

A movement in the corner of the room drew her attention. If it hadn't been for her SOLDIER enhancements, she would have missed it. She ran silently along the beam and took a closer look. Her blood ran cold at what she saw.

A small contingent of infantry, one officer and ten grunts, were lying in wait, watching the Wutaians through a pair of binoculars. The officer was speaking into a communicator, and Yuffie wanted to know what they were saying. She dropped down, silently to a lower level and listened in, just barely making out what they were saying.

"…three, sir… No, one is the Shinra executive… no, sir… still waiting on SOLDIER backup…"

Yuffie cursed. She had to warn the informant and her countrymen. They stood no chance against SOLDIER and if they sent someone higher that Third class, or more than one, she doubted she'd be able to get them all out safely. She had to be quick before the SOLDIER backup arrived. That was the only choice she had.

She ran to directly above the Wutai group and dropped down, landing between the two groups with her back to her countrymen. "Run! SOLDIER is on the way!" She warned, launching a fire ball at the boxes hiding the infantry group before they could jump into action and open fire on the retreating Wutaians.

She charged the infantry, drawing their fire away from the retreating group, and deflecting the bullets with a quick spin of her shuriken. With her free hand, she charged an Ice, casting it at their feet and building a wall of ice between herself and them. Now that she had bought some time, she turned to see the Wutaian group retreating through a back door. All she could do now was prevent the infantry from following or calling in the failure. Then she also had to make her own retreat, otherwise it was game over.

She jumped onto the ice wall, and cast a fire ball one more time, this time taking out a few of the infantrymen. Two down, eight more to go. Dropping into melee range, she drew a kunai from the small of her back and attacked with a flurry of blows, taking down another infantryman before moving on to the next one, no pausing between. At melee, their guns were reduced to blunt weapons, but that didn't stop them from trying. The butt of a rifle was rammed hard into her back. With her enhancements, it didn't hurt as much as it should have, but it still hurt.

She parried a few more attacks, then jumped back out of range and onto the top of a stack of wooden boxes, throwing her shuriken and sending a few of the troupers scattering as they dodged the weapon. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a couple of the troupers edging towards the door, taking shots at her as they went. Not having any of that, she pelted them with a blizzard 2 spell.

"What is she?!" one of the troopers shouted. She sent another volley of fire down on them, lighting the wooden crates that they had tried to take cover behind on fire. Bullets chased her as she weaved in and out of the maze of boxes, working her way to the exit that led to her countrymen. "Must be some kind of Wutai Demon!" another trooper replied.

Grinning at that comment, she cast the biggest fire she had, blew the supports to the walkway on the upper level and sent it crashing down, blocking the door and removing the infantry's chances of following. With that taken care of, she dodged the hailstorm of bullets and hunted down the officer, feeling the bite as one projectile actually caught her in the side. Immediately assessing, she determined that nothing vital had been hit, and continued her onslaught. She hoped that she had given her countrymen a large enough head start. She now had to disrupt the enemies' tactics and make her own retreat before she got even sloppier.

She rounded a corner and threw her shuriken, only to have it parried by a very familiar styled sword. "Yuri, stop!" her new opponent whispered as a hiss. She froze momentarily, recognizing the voice under the helmet of the Second Class SOLDIER in front of her. She disengaged immediately and jumped backwards, casting a lightning spell down on him. He dodged, but it was enough of a distraction that she was able to continue her retreat, running along the boxes until she was back on the upper level and back out the window.

* * *

Kunsel cursed. The look of panic in Yuri's eyes were enough to make him sick of himself. "I'll take care of the woman. You guys are dismissed," He ordered. He knew that the executive was a plant, and that the other two Wutaians had most likely been taken out by another Infantry contingent by now. Now, he just needed to get Yuri to stop and talk to him. He didn't wait to see the Infantryman's salute, because he was quickly following the renegade ninja.

"Yuri, I just want to talk," he shouted once clear of the building, but was greeted by a fireball headed straight towards his face, which he barely dodged, rolling out onto the adjoining rooftop. Yuri's shuriken sliced across the rooftop, sending sparks as it spun against the metal towards his prone position. He again rolled out of the way. The spinning weapon returned to its owner while he regained a standing position. He charged, trying to close the gap before she could take advantage of her ranged abilities again.

Catching the shuriken, the kunoichi met his sword with the blades of her weapon, sending sparks between them as metal ground on metal. She threw off his sword and disengaged, jumping backwards onto the next roof top. He followed quickly. He couldn't help but think that she had improved since they had last fought together against the behemoth. She still fought like a cornered wild cat, which in most respects she was, but she also had skill and tactics in her court. She was using the terrain, keeping him at a distance as much as she could, while at the same time, casting spells, or using her weapon at range.

He dodged an ice lance that lodged itself into the roof behind him and caught sight of the Wutaian female. When he caught sight of her, he noticed three things. First, she was charging what appeared to be one hell of a spell. Second, her eyes were a brighter purple than usual, meaning she was riding a limit break. And third, the left side of her tank top was soaked, bleeding into the top of her cargo shorts. That last observation sent him into panic mode. He had to stop this soon, otherwise she might drive herself into shock from blood loss, SOLDIER enhancements or not. She was still only Third Class.

He ignored the spell she cast, shielding himself partially as he sliced through the large conflagration that she had sent his way. When he emerged from the other side, she panicked and leapt back, loosing her footing as she slipped on the slick tiles behind her. He reached to catch her, pulling her towards him with a supporting arm around her waist.

Instead of thanking him, she surprised him with a fireball to the face. She used the opportunity to somersault out of his reach once more, this time maintaining her balance.

Never before had he been so thankful for his helmet, otherwise she might have blinded him. As it was, the helmet was probably ruined. He tossed it, charred visor and all, to the side. Now ten feet away, Yuri was holding her arms out to the side, beginning the healing limit she had used when they had fought the behemoth. Before she could complete it, however, her left leg gave out from under her, and she fell to a knee, clutching her side.

Charging a cure, and being extremely thankful that he always kept one equipped, Kunsel closed the gap and pressed the spell into her side, causing her to hiss. She tried to push him away, but lacked both the strength and the element of surprise. Her struggling was going to make her pass out, cure or no.

"Damn it, Yuri, will you just trust me and listen?" he barked harshly.

Yuri slowly grew silent, finally looking at him with something other than outright panic and contempt. It might have been confusion. "Why are you helping me right now? Isn't your mission to kill me?"

He nodded, taking her Shuriken from her and putting it on his back with his own sword. "Yeah, but as far as I'm concerned, the Wutai agent is dead. Now I'm just helping out a fellow SOLDIER." He stood and helped her to her feet. She took a few steps before her knees buckled again. He pushed another cure into her side. She breathed a sigh. He shook his head. "Don't you have a cure spell or something on you?"

She grinned, albeit weakly, barely lifting her over-sized shuriken. "Only three materia slots," she said wryly.

Kunsel frowned. "Cures will only do so much until we get the bullet out." Taking her to the Shinra hospital was going to cause questions, especially with her dressed the way she was. He didn't see much choice, though, unless they went to a slum doctor. Even that was tricky though. He knew better than anyone that information was good money and selling the tale of the Shinra SOLDIER aiding the Wutai Rebel would net decent gil.

"Slum apartments in Sector Three. Room 6," she reluctantly supplied, meeting his eyes. "If you really want to help me, get me there. I've got clothes and medical supplies stocked up there."

He nodded and, despite her protests, picked her up bridal style and followed her directions.

The entire walk along the Slum rooftops, Yuri had remained silent. At one point, he had thought she might have passed out, but when he looked at her, he noticed an embarrassed blush on her cheeks as she was purposefully looking at anything but him. It was probably at this point that he noticed how delicate she looked. Her hair was longer now, extensions probably, but the look suited her, framing her face in a flattering way. It looked good on her.

It was also at that point that he reminded himself that part of her paleness was due to blood loss. He cursed himself and cleared his throat. "Okay, so this is sector three. Which way?" he asked her.

She pointed to the right. "Go down to the alleyway and up the emergency stairs three blocks down. We can enter my room through the window."

He cocked an eyebrow. "You always enter through the window?"

She smirked at him. "Nah. Only when I enter as a man and leave as a woman. Or vise versa."

The SOLDIER Second chuckled. "Makes sense."

She pointed him to the correct window and they entered without a hitch, I.e. without being seen. Kunsel looked around, and realized that he was now standing in a girl's room. This was obviously where she went to vent her feminine frustrations. It was a one room flat, with a small bathroom attached. The one room housed her bed, a stove and small table, as well as a sofa. It wasn't much, nor was it overtly girly, but it did have small feminine touches, like the blue flowers on the bedspread or the decorative throw pillows. For the life of him, Kunsel could not think of a single man that ever willingly used a throw pillow. She pointed to the worn out sofa, and he took the hint, setting her down.

"Look in the cabinet above the stove. I should have a medical kit in there," she said, wincing. "Its got tweezers and all the stuff you need to get this bullet out of me." She whined, "You know, this didn't hurt at first. But now its really starting to be a pain."

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, wondering if that was supposed to be a joke, but determined that she had meant that literally. He found the kit and the things he needed. By the time he had turned back around, she had ditched her boots and fishnet gloves.

"Do you know how to remove a bullet, or is that egg head good for just stalking innocent little Wutai girls?" she asked.

He gave her a skeptical look over her claim of being an innocent _anything_. "I've got basic knowledge, but I have to admit it isn't something that I've ever had to do myself."

She chuckled. "Well, its a good thing that I have lots of practice then. Let me give you a pointer, Rookie; cast sleep on me first, and make it a good one. I really don't want to be awake while you dig into my side."

"I don't have one," he admitted, putting the kit down next to her.

"Wow, that's lame," Yuri said, then pointed to the bed. "Get my hardedge out from under there. I've got one equipped. Since you are using it on me, I guess I can let you borrow it."

He smirked. "My, how gracious."

"Yeah, yeah, just hurry and get this lump of metal out of me."

He got the hardedge and released the catch that revealed the materia. "So, when did you have to remove bullets? You haven't been in SOLDIER that long."

She snorted. "Wutai and Shinra have been at war a long time. I practically grew up on the battlefield, you know?" Her voice grew distant and thoughtful. "I've had to teach myself a lot of things. Not just how to fight."

She had taught herself field medicine and how to fight? Judging by how hard she had fought him, injured at that, he was impressed. Her fighting style was not something that Shinra could have taught. He smiled. It might not have been the happiest piece, but it was another piece to the puzzle that was Yuri Kisaragi.

She was already laying down on her uninjured side when he'd returned with the sleep materia. "You sure you trust me with this?" he prodded.

She shrugged. "In for a gil, in for a million. Might as well go all the way," she stated. "Besides, if you blab, my life is forfeit. Who knows, maybe you'll do me a favor and kill me in my sleep so that I don't have to listen to those stupid infantry interrogation techniques."

Kunsel chuckled at that. "When you wake up, remind me to tell you a story," he said casting the spell.

She was asleep almost instantly. He pulled back the ruined black tank top to reveal the bullet wound and cleaned it with a warm rag, removing the dried blood. He set about removing the bullet, recasting sleep only once. Once done, he sealed the wound and bandaged it up. With a level of materia control that would have made Genesis proud, he used a low level blizzard spell to turn the wet rag into a cold compress and placed it on the wound. Her own mako enhancements would improve the rate of her healing, but the compress would still reduce the amount of pain.

Now done with the doctoring, he sat back and observed his patient. While she slept, she looked every bit like the young girl she actually was. He couldn't help but notice that she was wearing very little. Seriously, how short did her shorts have to be before she was satisfied? It didn't help that he had already had to lift her shirt to remove the bullet, and it had already started out showing off a decent amount of stomach. With that reminder, he tried to fix her ruined top, but deemed it a lost cause.

He sighed. His curiosity and fears had been confirmed. Yuri Kisaragi was a Wutai agent. So what was he going to do about this? He shook his head. He didn't want to do anything about it, to be honest. He liked Yuri, and like it or not, she was SOLDIER now. In Kunsel's mind, SOLDIER was more than just a faction of Shinra military.

It did raise more questions for him, though. Was she pressed into joining, or was it her choice to join? And if she was pressed, who in their right mind would send a sixteen year old girl into the heart of SOLDIER? And what type of girl would someone chose to take on such a task? If it was her choice, what were her other choices, that joining SOLDIER was her best option? The more he knew about her, the more questions he wanted to ask.

And, okay, he could admit it to himself, at least. She was cute when she slept. He was a healthy eighteen year old male, and she was a cute sixteen year old female. Who was currently injured and prone. He slapped himself on the cheek twice and stood up, walking over to the small kitchen and fixed a glass of water. "This is why she pretends to be a boy, idiot," he reminded himself, downing the glass of water before fixing one for her, this time cooling it off with ice.

He charged another cure spell and cast it into her side. Now he just had to wait for her to wake up.

* * *

 _AN: I wanted this. = 3_

 _I must admit, I am quite pleased with myself right now, though I'm not quite sure why… I was actually looking forward to Yuffentine in Base Game Time line. Or even YuffiexCloud… or YuffiexReno. = x_

 _Hrm… CHOICES! GAH!]_

 _Oh, and... Cloud didn't show up in this one at all. Well, not directly, anyway. Poor Kunsel. Sorry 'bout that!_


	8. New Alliance

_Hey, guys! Thank you so much for those lovely reviews! 3 They really make my day! Also, this chapter turned out to be a bit short, but there wasn't a whole lot to add to it... its really just character building at this point, but I've got a better out line for the rest of this story laid out now. :D BTW QUESTION for you guys! I am taking this into base game timeline but I want to know:  
_

 _How true to original story do you think I should stay? (Soooo many plot bunnies...)_

 _Now for the… DISCLAIMER: FF7 is owned by Akira Toriyama and Toei animatio… oh, wait, its not? Well I don't own it either…_

* * *

Yuffie woke up to darkness illuminated by weak slum streetlights filtering in through her window. It was hard to tell time by the amount of light beneath the plate, but she was willing to bet that it was well past dark. She frowned, flipping open her PHS to check the time. Half past eight. It looked like she was going to miss drinks with the guys after all.

She sat up, wincing at the small ache in her side, but was glad that it didn't hurt nowhere near as bad as it could have. Now sitting up, she stretched and took stock of her room. The first thing she noticed was that Kunsel was still present, sleeping in her one dining chair, arms crossed, head down. She knew he was sleeping because his helmet was oddly missing…

…Oh yeah. She did kind of melt it…

She dropped that line of thought, refusing to feel guilty over it. It was his own fault for underestimating her.

Still… he was cute when he was asleep…

Continuing inventory, Her boots were at the end of the bed and her gloves were folded neatly on the bed next to them. She certainly didn't do that. She looked down to find that not only was she still dressed, but she also had a nice sized bandage on her side. For some reason she was vaguely disappointed. Wasn't it common courtesy to get a wounded comrade out of blood soaked clothing when healing injuries? She chuckled at the thought. It would seem that gender bias was in play. She was willing to bet that he would have had no qualms properly doctoring a male SOLDIER.

She shrugged and pulled the blood-stiffened shirt away from her torso. "Yuck," she verbalized, standing and walking to the small closet, pulling out her SOLDIER uniform. She went to the sink and began filling the basin with lukewarm water. These weren't the fanciest slum digs, so a full shower and reliable hot water were out of the question.

Kunsel woke up at the sound of water splashing into the pan. He had a worried look on his face when she looked back at him. "You shouldn't be up yet," he chastised, looking at the time on his PHS. "You really should be taking it easy, at least for another few hours."

"Pff, whatever," she replied, "I feel more than fine, thank you very much." She turned off the water, and looked at him, making a spinning motion with her finger.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"Turn around," she clarified. "You missed your chance to sneak a peak. Now I want to get clean and my bathroom doesn't actually have a bath. So turn around."

She managed to make the SOLDIER 2nd Class blush, but he turned around like she asked, turning the entire chair to face the opposite side of the room, namely her living room and bed area. The ninja smirked and removed the black tank top, assessing the damage. The shirt was a goner, that was for sure. Even without the bullet hole, there was no getting all that blood out. With that in mind, Kunsel had actually done a pretty good job of cleaning the wound area. She made a move to remove the bra so that she could wash off all the sweat and gunk, when Kunsel suddenly stood.

"Yep, I think I'm going to just step out the window now," he announced, not even looking back at the undressing kunoichi.

Yuffie smirked. "You do that." Yay for big windows. He stepped out and disappeared to the left of the opening. "Don't go far, you owe me a story!" She yelled.

And she was anxious to talk to him. What was his deal? By rights, he could have, and probably should have, killed her. " _As far as I'm concerned, the Wutai agent is dead. Now I'm just helping out a fellow SOLDIER,"_ he had said. What did that even mean? Everything in her told her that he was fool. She was his enemy, in case he had failed to notice. She had thought the fireball to the face had made that clear…

She combed out the extensions and put them away for safe keeping. While she pondered per position she made quick work of removing her makeup and washing her skin from the waist up. Once that was done, she tightly bandaged her chest. "Now for part two," she said to herself.

The blood that had soaked into her shorts had ruined those as well, and the thicker material did a poor job of letting the stuff dry out. Instead, it made a squelching sound as it was pulled away from the skin. She deposited both the top and the bottom directly into the trashcan. She'd have to burn her trash later to destroy the evidence.

Now fully cleaned, and with pants back on, she examined the bandage. It really didn't hurt and she wanted to see what the damage was. Besides, the tape was itchy. She pulled the bandage off and let out a low whistle. "Well, would ya look at that," she said, mostly to herself. "Hey, Kunsel, question for ya," she shouted.

"Yeah?" he responded from the outside.

"How fast, exactly, are SOLDIERs supposed to heal?"

"Moderately faster than normal, wh…" he stumbled over his words as he looked back through the window, catching an eye full of Yuri in SOLDIER pants, topless but for a bandage wrapped around her chest. "Why?" he finished.

She ignored his staring and raised an arm, turning to present her left flank. It was flawless, but for a spot of red that looked like the freshly healed skin under a freshly pealed scab. Even with 3rd Class enhancements, it still should have taken at least a few days.

"Oh, uh," Kunsel nervously chuckled, "I might have been… overzealous with the heals…"

…Overzealous with the heals? Yuffie crossed her arms and stared him down with her best glare. How, exactly, did one go about being overzealous with heals? Not that she was going to complain too much. Being hurt, even for a few days, would have put a major crimp in her style, so this was one gift chocobo that she wasn't going to look in the mouth.

The moment stretched uncomfortably long while the erstwhile ninja realized that she was quite proudly showing off her side while standing in nothing but a bandage and SOLDIER pants. She took a deep breath and reached over to the bed, grabbing her blue issued turtle neck and slipped it on. "Okay, so now its story time, Doc," she said, plopping down on the bed.

"'Doc', huh?" he needled.

Yuffie shrugged a dismissal. "Whatever, don't change the topic."

Kunsel leaned against the window frame, arms crossed. "It isn't a happy story," he replied, dark blue mako eyes staring back at her. It was a lie what people said, Yuffie had long since come to realize. SOLDIER eyes don't glow like flashlights. Its more like they take on a shimmering opalescence that catches and reflects light, like the sparkling waters of Wutai. She shook her head, not really pleased with the involuntary comparison between the artificial Mako glow and Wutai's natural beauty.

"If it explains why I'm alive and not a Roasted Yuri Shishkabob, I still wanna hear it," she replied, pulling her Hardedge out from under the bed and resetting her materias.

Kunsel chuckled. "Well first off, you are alive because I know what you are going through. I'm not your enemy."

Yuffie raised an eyebrow at that. "You know what its like to be a female ninja pretending to be a male SOLDIER?"

"So literal," he quipped. "I mean that I know what its like to be working within a corrupt system while at the same time hoping to do some good."

The female 3rd Class frowned. "Okay, you lost me." She put aside her weapons and gave him her full attention.

He sighed deeply, and seemed to be gathering up his nerves. "Do you remember me saying I was from Kalm?" When she nodded, he continued, walking over to the couch but not sitting down. "Well, five years ago, Kalm was firebombed. I was thirteen, sitting in a SOLDIER recruitment office at the time. Its the only reason I'm alive now."

Yuffie, for once, sat silently and listened. Even in Wutai she had heard about the Kalm firebombing. It had been a big deal. She felt ashamed of herself that the connection hadn't clicked before he said something.

He clenched a fist and continued. "I joined SOLDIER without a second thought, because as a kid, I had nowhere else to go, and SOLDIER payed well. I also thought that I might find out more about what had happened to my home." He unclenched his fist. "I got really good at gathering information, gaining trust, and building an information network." He looked up at the female ninja-turned-SOLDIER. "I never did discover why my home was destroyed, only that Shinra was behind it."

"W…Why did you stay?" She asked, confused. Had it been her home that Shinra had firebombed and not just overtaken, nothing would have stopped her from trying to dismantle Shinra brick by brick. With his back to her, she couldn't read his face, but the tone of his voice was very honest. There was a crack to his words that one couldn't just fake, and if they could, they needed to be on stage.

He sighed and turned to face her, dropping onto the couch. "Where else would I go?" His cobalt eyes met her own thoughtful amethyst gaze. "At least Wutai still stands. The Kalm that you see today isn't my home, not really. Just a very well crafted replica." He leaned forward, clasping his hands in front of him. "You think you can help your country by being in SOLDIER?"

She nodded. If nothing else, she could climb the ranks, make connections. Maybe even find people willing to help Wutai within those connections…

"Well, so do I," he replied to her nonverbal response. "By being in SOLDIER I have access to information that I otherwise wouldn't have. I can look out for my friends."

Yuffie couldn't help but feel that by the way his eyes were boring into her that there was something he was desperately trying to convey without outright saying it. If anything, Kunsel had an even bigger reason to hate Shinra than she did. Could he really be an ally? She looked at the evidence. In the two weeks that she had been avoiding him, he hadn't told a soul about her. Plus there was the very obvious fact that she was still alive and well. It was a chance, but…

Instead of saying anything, Yuffie sighed and flipped open her PHS, dialed a number, and put the phone to her ear. It only rang twice. "Hey, remember those plans we were making? Well, abort the mission," she said in a serious voice. Her accomplice asked a question, to which she replied, "I'll tell you later. Same time, same place?" and then, "Later." She hung up and put the PHS away before looking back at the SOLDIER 2nd Class. "Will you look out for me, too?"

He grinned. "If you are my friend, yes." The smile was slightly replaced by a hint of anxiousness. "Does this mean that I can sleep without fear now?

Yuffie gave him her best evil smirk, full of teeth and pride. "For now," she teased, "Just remember that you have some secrets to keep." She jumped off the bed and joined him on the sofa with an exuberant plop. "Hey, this calls for the ancient Wutaian Rite of the Vow of Secrecy!"

Kunsel met her happy face with a look of distrustful disbelief. "I think you just made that up."

She shook her head and pointed a finger in his face. "Unbeliever! Now put one hand on your heart…" she put one hand on her heart and then spit in the other hand, holding it out, "and put 'er there, pal."

He looked down at the offending hand. "You know, that's disgusting. Are you sure you're female?"

She stuck a tongue out at him. "Don't be such a fuss bucket. Exchanges of bodily fluid are part of the rite." She raised an eyebrow. "Unless you prefer some other bodily fluid?" He silently raised an eyebrow in return at the statement. She fought the huge blush that threatened to erupt at the inadvertent double entendre. "Blood! I mean blood," she hurriedly amended, and then added with a huff, "Jeez, perv."

He chuckled. "Okay, have it your way," he humored her, spitting on his own hand and grabbing hers.

She smirked. "Now, repeat after me: 'I, Kunsel Harringer…"

The air of sufferance that he exuded was obvious to her, but he earned bonus points for playing along. "I, Kunsel Harringer…"

"'… do solemnly vow to uphold the covenant of silence…'"

"…do solemnly vow to uphold the covenant of silence…"

"'… and promise to never blab about Yuri Kisaragi's true gender or motives.'"

"… and promise to never blab about Yuri Kisaragi's true gender or motives."

She gave the hand she was holding a good shake and then let go of it, picking up the damp rag and wiping her hand off. Spitting on your hand really was gross, but ancient rites and all…

"So," Kunsel spoke up, wiping his own hand on a towel, "what would happen if I were to break this nigh-unbreakable vow?"

She grinned her biggest grin and cheerfully replied while she pulled on her boots. "I'd kill you in your sleep!"

Both eyebrows shot up on the face of the half-Wutaian SOLDIER. "Oh, that's all?" he chuckled. "And what are your plans now?" he asked, more seriously.

Her grin didn't falter as she sent a quick message to Neils. "Operation Alibi. Go out for a night on the town with friends, continue to be a good little Shinra dog, and wait for a chance to bite."

"Yuri…" he began.

"Nuh, uh. I'm not going to change my tune over night," she cut him off, knowing what he was going to say. She decided to be clear. "I put myself up to this because I wanted to help Wutai regain her independence, and given the chance, I'll do just that."

"And with the war over?" the inquisitive 2nd Class prodded.

She thought for a moment, contemplating the ceiling. "With the war over, my opportunities will be slim to none. Wutai first…" she paused, "and taking care of my friends second."

She finished up her 3rd Class uniform with the shoulder guards and harness and grabbed her SOLDIER weapons. She picked up her beloved shuriken and thought about it for a moment, weighing options. She looked at Kunsel, who was staring at her, and then at the shuriken again. Wordlessly, she thrust the Weapon into his hands.

"What's this for?" He asked.

She shrugged. "Shinra is going to want proof of a job well done," she reasoned. "Your Wutai Demon didn't leave a body, but if you have a cool ass weapon like this, they'll know she's dead. No respectable ninja would dare let her weapon fall into enemy hands without dying first." And Yuffie was finding this very depressing.

Kunsel joined the ninja weapon with his own sword. "Yuri, thanks," he said earnestly.

"Pff, whatever," she dismissed, even if she wasn't really feeling it. She really loved that weapon, but if it was going to get her recognized and/or killed… What was the saying? If you love something, let it go, and it will come back if it was meant to be? Well, her shuriken had never failed to return to her before. She punched her palm. "Alright! Time to get my drink on!" she exclaimed, now excited because she had a reason to drink. It wasn't the celebration she was hoping for, but oh well. Drinking away sorrows was just as good.

The older SOLDIER raised a disapproving eyebrow. "You aren't old enough to drink," he noted.

She winked at him. "Only on paper, my good man, only on paper. Care to join?"

He shook his head and crossed his arms. "And contribute to your juvenile delinquency? No thanks." He walked toward the window. "Besides, I need to sneak back into the next sector and file a mission report."

"Have it your way, Kun-kun," she teased. "Catch ya later, and don't forget to lock the window on the way out!"

She left out the front door, locking it behind her, and went to join Neils and the others, albeit late. If nothing else, she'd get plenty of blackmail material for later, being the only sober person at the party. Wasn't that what friends were for?

* * *

Later that evening, Hojo was forwarded two reports that he had personally requested. The first was SOLDIER 3rd Class, Yuri Kisaragi's experiment extermination mission, which had gone well, Hojo was interested to hear. The venom of that particular specimen was especially toxic, designed to systematically shut down the nervous system of its victims by first interrupting the synaptic nerves that governed free will, producing a Confusion-like status effect. There was no mention of this anywhere in either Subject Y's report, nor the 2nd report he had requested from the Turk sent to trace her, though the Turk's report did verify that Subject Y had indeed been struck by the venom.

After the mission the Turk had lost trace of the specimen, only to catch the trail again in Sector 8, at a bar of all places. Hojo frowned upon the idea of his precious specimens ruining the validity of his experiments with alcohol, but in this case, he made an exception, as the Turk, in his very thorough report, stated that the subject lamented being unaffected by the drink. So, the specimen was resistant to toxins… It seemed that the next logical step to test would be the effects of biological weapons, namely viruses, on Subject Y.

So far, the data was promising. If the data continued to be favorable, then Project Y would commence as scheduled, and this time Hojo would definitively prove Hollander a true failure once and for all.

* * *

 _AN: Hojo is mucking up my plans… This is a Yuffie Fic… Yuffie Fics are light hearted. Hojo is going to mess that up! I fear dark days ahead._ T-T


	9. Instant Remedies

_Don't forget to hit that Like and Subscribe button, and as always, thanks for watch- er... Reading! (been watching too much vSauce lately... but mmm I love me some Michael Stevens) =3_

 _One thing that I do feel obligated to mention is that I subscribe to several fan-theory last names: i.e. Sephiroth Crescent, Reno Sinclair, Kunsel Harringer... You get the point. I just have a hard time believing that everyone in the FF7 universe is Cher. I guess we can call this the FanFic-Verse. I once read a story that listed Cissnei's real name as Reika (like her weapon.) . Its an awesome idea and I wish I remembered the name of the story. If you know the original creators/stories of these names, please let me know so that I can properly accredit them!_

 _Disclaimer: Forsooth, lo though I pine away my days in dreary misery, undeniably I beseech the heavens in constant vigilance, but alas! Final Fantasy VII is not mine! o_O_

* * *

Niels glared at the incurably shameless Yuri and cursed his roommate's lack of a hangover, though the younger SOLDIER claimed that it hadn't been from lack of trying. It actually stumped Niels as well. When Yuri had finally shown up last night, he'd quickly ordered several shots of the strongest they had so that he could "catch up" with everyone else, only to end the night lamenting that it did absolutely nothing for him and that he was "too magnificent to waste all [his] awesomeness on falling down drunk, anyway."

Now it was the next morning, and unlike his rambunctious friend, Niels did have a hangover. Unfortunately, for the past half an hour, Yuri had been doing stretches and squats, and being an overall nuisance to anyone trying to sleep in on their day off. The Icelander swore that if if anyone had told how bad hangovers were, he would have waited until he was at least 2nd Class before he started drinking. Rumor was that 2nd Class SOLDIERs could all hold their liquor very well, while the 1st Class were completely incapable of intoxication.

That was both appealing and appalling.

As it was, he launched his pillow at Yuri, who caught it without hesitation.

"What?" he had the audacity to say, tossing the pillow back.

Niels caught it and cuddled its fluffy white goodness, hunching over it while fighting the raging headache. "Come on, man! Its like eight in the morning." He shoved his face into the pillow to block out all light. His voice was muffled by the pillow as he continued. "Can't you show some human decency and let the living dead rest?"

"Ke, he, he," Yuri laughed in response. Niels could swear the bastard had a sadistic streak. His roommate didn't sound the least bit remorseful when he continued, this time outright complaining, "I've got a lot to do today but can't do any of it! I've already eaten breakfast, someone has the training rooms booked until ten, I can't visit my protege until he gets back from morning duty, I've already begged for another assignment and was turned down, and I'm bored, bored, bored!"

He looked up from his pillow and gapped slack-jawed at the self-centered little snot. "Dude. Hangover. Take your boredom elsewhere," he ordered once he processed what was going on.

Instead of taking the hint though, Yuri stood from his last set of stretches and walked over to him, leaning in while rubbing his chin as if in deep contemplation. Niels heart sank as a slow smile grew on Yuri's face.

"I know what we are going to do today, Ice-man," the younger 3rd Class stated with a downright mischievous look on his face.

"We?" he didn't like where this was going. He was older. Yuri should be following his orders and vacating the premises so that he could suffer in peace. Not dragging him into whatever mischief he had planned this time. Yuri was always brewing mischief.

The SOLDIER in question now had his phone pulled out and was pressing buttons at an alarming rate. "Yep!" he answered with a sickening enthusiasm, then looked back up with a wink and a thumbs up. "Today's mission is to cure your hangover!"

Niels groaned and fell backwards on the bed, putting the pillow over his face. "No thanks," he mumbled into it.

"Too bad!" Yuri said, before vanishing out the door. "I'll be back with juuuust the thing!"

And then Niels was blessedly, silently alone, and more than a little bit worried.

* * *

The company health food store was dismally stocked. Who knew that the outlet servicing the most health challenged people on the planet would be so ill equipped? Shinra employees were regularly accustomed to illness and injury, be it from mako exposure, slum pollution, battles with the various monsters of Midgar and the surrounds, and other hazardous working conditions. So why was it that they lacked the necessary ingredients for her hangover cure?

There wasn't a single pickled sheep eye in sight. Nor ground behemoth horn. She double checked the remedies list on her PHS. Maybe they had some of that dried kimara testicles. She'd just have to ask the lady at the register.

The cashier was a slender brunette with an almond shaped face and sparkling eyes. Currently, she wasn't ringing anyone up, but she was leaning over the counter and smiling at a red head in a rumpled blue suit and goggles, who was also leaning on the counter. Yuffie frowned as she recognized the suit as belonging to the Turks. Either way, the red head must have said something salacious, since the brunette suddenly blushed but smiled widely.

"Hey, excuse me," Yuffie interrupted. "Hate to break up the love fest, but I have an ailing comrade who needs some emergency medical supplies."

The sparkling eyes and happy blush was quickly replaced with a barely contained scowl. At the very least, the cashier seemed put-out that her romantic advances on company time were being interrupted. "Did you check the shelves? If it isn't on the floor and isn't prescription, then we are out," she replied.

Yuffie huffed. "Look, you don't have to get your panties in a wad over it, I just need to know if you have dried kimara testicles laying around somewhere. Pickled sheep eyes, or ground behemoth horn might work, too."

While the brunette literally turned green around the gills and looked thoroughly disgusted, the red head Turk turned a curious smirk to her direction.

"No," the brunette answered then shook her head. "Who would carry something like that? Have you tried the Science Department?"

Yuffie frowned and bit back, "No, I figured the health food store would carry hangover remedies, at least."

At that the red head busted out into raucous laughter. It went on for several seconds while both Yuffie and the cashier looked at him with distrust and worry, respectively. Once he caught his breath, he wiped a tear from his eye and grinned at Yuffie. "I knew you SOLDIER guys were crazy, yo." He chuckled again, though with much less gusto this time. "So tell me, how exactly were you planning on curing a hangover with that stuff?"

The 3rd Class frowned and crossed her arms as she replied. "Make a coctail out of the behemoth horn, tomato juice, and sheep eyes for my friend to drink, and if that didn't work, let him chew on the dried kimara testicles," she answered honestly and with a straight face.

The Turk broke down into laughter again while the cashier actually retreated to the back and vanished through the employee's only door. Yuffie was really starting to lose her patience. "What the hell, man? You got a better hangover remedy?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'd say so." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and leaned back against the counter. "As someone who has suffered his fair share of hangovers, I've got a few up my sleeve, yo." Yuffie had a hard time reading the grin that spread across his face. She couldn't decide if it was a proud grin or a mischievous one. Probably a mix of both.

Curiosity won out. Besides, it was obvious her remedies were not panning out. "Alright, whatcha got, Turkey?" she asked.

"Name's Reno, yo," he corrected, then grinned. "And for this, we need to take a little trip, and then to the kitchens, Shorty,"

"Hey! Name's Yuri, wise guy," she also corrected. "I can take care of making the remedy myself, thanks. Just tell me what I need to do."

He raised an eyebrow. "You can cook?"

"…" Yuffie had nothing to say to that. On one hand, she didn't want to admit she had a defect, but on the other hand, she not only did not know how to cook, but all of her efforts had been disastrous to the point that her guardian, Izayoi, had absolutely forbidden her from kitchen duties. "Fine. Lead the way," she reluctantly gave in. Niels had better appreciate this. She wasn't working with no Turkey for nothing.

* * *

It had taken Reno a few minutes into the conversation for him to realize that this SOLDIER was the same one that he had been sent to tail last night. It still irked him how the little shrimp had managed to lose him for several hours. He remembered watching the kid fight. He was nimble and had an arm a lot like Cissnei, but to top it off, he actually had some straight up ninja moves. It was like watching what would happen if one of those Crescent Unit guys got their hands on Mako Enhancements. He was a short-stuff, but he was going to be downright deadly when he ranked up.

It was no wonder the higher ups wanted him watched. Most SOLDIERs were meat heads, but this one had some Turk to him, for sure.

Reno wasn't one for working off the clock, but now it was a matter of satisfying personal curiosity. The kid could have made the Turks, easy, and everyone knew the Turks were more racially accepting. Wutaians were not an anomaly like they were in the regular army or SOLDIER. Not to mention Turk pay was better. Sure, the hours were shit, but whatever. Plus, he wanted to know what this kid was up to. His Turk Sense was tingling.

"You can cook?" he asked, highly doubting it. He knew how to cook because he had practically raised himself, but by his experience most teenage boys were clueless as to the culinary arts.

His suspicions were confirmed by the awkward silence and the fidgeting of the 3rd Class in front of him. "Fine. Lead the way," the kid replied, though Reno could tell that the words were reluctant. Sure, SOLDIERs and Turks didn't have the best relationship, but they weren't usually this distrustful.

On the way down to the slums, Reno engaged Yuri in the art of Small Talk. It was a great way to get information out of people that they might otherwise not want to share. The kid was either on to him, or just didn't have anything to hide, because all he shared was the same stuff that was written in his public company profile: Wutaian Native, Joined SOLDIER after family disowned him, taught himself how to fight. He shared his own back story: Slum kid, Joined the Turks after running afoul of the gangs, taught himself how to fight.

There were a few other idiosyncrasies that Reno picked up on. Yuri was a boastful, self-assured, and somewhat mouthy bastard. They had so much in common. It was the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

When they finally got of the train, Yuri took a deep breath. "Gawd, I hate trains!" he exclaimed in one breath.

Reno goaded. "Whats wrong with em, yo? The smell? The company? The lack of appropriately aged hot girls to hit on?"

Yuri stretched. "None of the above, Turkey-breath."

"Oh ho! I see how it is, yo!" Reno amended. "The lack of appropriately aged hot guys to hit on?" He waggled his eyebrows. They started heading off towards the slum town proper.

Yuri grinned. "Sorry, Reno, but you aren't my type, either." Interesting. That wasn't an admission nor a denial… "If you must know, it's the motion, though it is not as bad as it used to be."

He continued to stride evenly along but couldn't resist the urge to tease the younger person. "What is this I hear? The great infallible Yuri Kisaragi suffers from motion sickness?"

"At least there are remedies for motion sickness," Yuri replied, jibbing back, "I hate to tell you, but there isn't a cure for ugly."

Reno grinned. "As much fun as exchanging barbs with you is, we are here," he said with a flourish, pointing to a nondescript shack in the middle of the slum town.

Yuri looked unimpressed. "Its a hovel."

"Nah, uh, uh," Reno wagged a finger, "This is an establishment meant for a select few of those in the know."

He opened the door and they stepped in. Yuri followed soon after.

Ten minutes later, they came back out with a small brown bag that Yuri was eying with a mix of disgust and curiosity. "You sure this stuff is going to work?"

Reno held up his own bag. "Definitely, yo. I'm off to Costa del Sol in a few hours, and I'll be swearing on this stuff, if you know what I mean." He winked. Obviously, he wouldn't be drinking it, though. It only worked if you didn't know what it actually was.

* * *

Since the kitchen staff had finished and cleaned up from breakfast already, Yuffie and Reno had no problems making use of the supplies themselves. True, they weren't supposed to be in here, but she was a top class ninja, and he was a Turk. They both had the suitable skill sets for skulduggery.

This excursion hadn't been as bad as she had thought it'd be, though if the Turk was trying to be subtle about his off-handed form of interrogation, he failed. Two could play at that game, and Yuffie was able to get some valuable info about her enemy. For one, he thought he was a ladies man… and possibly a mans man. It was a little hard to tell what was actually the real Reno and what was the play-pretend Reno. Leviathan knew that the guy was hardly ever serious.

It was that lack of seriousness that made him a deadly Turk, she was certain. She knew this ploy. Make the enemy think you were incompetent. It made them lower their defenses and not take you seriously. Reno was definitely one to watch out for.

The last thing was that he was one hell of a cook. While she was on dish duty, he managed to poach an egg, toast a muffin, cook some ham, and make some type of sauce all at the same time. And nothing was burnt. Had Yuffie tried the same thing, the muffin would have been burnt, the egg would have turned into rubber, the ham would have turned into jerky, and the sauce would probably have caught fire.

When she put the last dish away, Reno put the finished plate on a tray with a tea he had made from the stuff in the brown bag. He presented it with a flourish. "Eggs Benedict and Pellet Tea. The best cure to a hangover known to man, yo."

She took the tray and threw him a grin. "Hey, thanks, Turkey!"

"No prob, Shorty," he replied likewise. It was an unspoken mutual agreement that they were not going to use each other's real names, it seemed.

Their PHS's simultaneously chimed. Yuffie held the tray with one hand and pulled out hers, thumbing the buttons one handed. She read the message. "You have got to be kidding me," she said.

Reno looked up from his PHS and grinned at her. "Hmm, change to the mission roster, huh? Welcome aboard, yo!"

She shot him a glare, that morphed terribly into a wicked grin. "You just might be eating those words, Turkey Jerky. You haven't seen me on a boat yet."

"Boat? Please," He sassed. "We are going in a helicopter; a.k.a. in style."

Yuffie tried not to let the mild panic show. She just hoped that the air was better than the sea. She put the PHS away and made for the door. "Well, all the more reason to cure Niels' hangover. He's on the mission list, too."

They quickly finished putting away the dishes and returning the kitchen to the state it was in before they had arrived, and then took off to go their separate ways.

"See ya, then," the Turk replied, heading in the opposite direction once they hit the hallway, one hand in his pocket, the other one waving a peace sign.

It was hard for her to imagine how anyone could take that Turk seriously, but she didn't have time to think about it. She had a hangover cure to deliver.

* * *

The Turk office was looking pretty empty today, but it made sense. Everyone else was off on some mission or the other. Ever since those AVALANCHE jokers had come on the scene, it had been mission after mission. Reno had just managed to squeeze in a few hours to flirt with that cute clerk down in the pharmacy after getting the mission to 'recruit' more able-bodied men for the SOLDIER program, willingness being optional.

And that was just the thing. He already had a mission, so why was Veld summoning him to his office again?

He strolled right on in with just a quick wink at the secretary. She didn't even bat an eye. Either he was getting rusty, or she was getting used to him. Besides, the boss man most likely already knew he was there.

"Yo, Veld! So, a Turk and a SOLDIER walk into a bar…"

"Shut up, Reno," Tseng cut him off, standing slightly behind the director.

"Shutting up, sir," he replied with a sloppy salute before stopping in front of Veld's desk. The Turks were a family and as such, they didn't stand on ceremony so much. That was probably the only reason Reno survived working for Shinra long enough to be a 'senior Turk'. He still chuckled at the thought. Some of these new Turks were older than him. Still, it paid to be polite to the patriarch of the family.

"What do you know about Yuri Kisaragi?" Veld asked.

Reno shrugged. "I've only really done that one surveillance job on him yesterday, but I did spend some time hanging out with him today," he said. "Cool guy, kinda reminds me of myself when I was younger. Haven't learned much more than what's in the official report, yo."

Tseng raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Why did you spend time with him today?"

The red-headed Turk shrugged. "Turk Intuition. There's just something about that guy that I can't figure out." Veld handed him a folder with a large, red, and very clearly stamped "Confidential" stamp on it. Reno grinned widely. This was the best kind. He flipped the folder open and scanned it while Veld spoke.

"I'm putting you on an extended surveillance detail. This comes directly from Hojo, and he's agreed to release confidential information to you." Veld leaned forward on the desk, hands folded. Reno caught on to the seriousness in the Director's voice. "This information is not to leave this room, period."

"Yeah, I hear ya," he replied, then paused. Oh, this was good. "Ifrit's Flaming Balls, boss man! Yuri is a girl?!"

Tseng only nodded. "So it would seem."

It all clicked. "That's how I lost him yesterday," He voiced. "He… I mean she… Yuri pulled a switcharoo on me, and all the while I was looking for a Wutaian Male SOLDIER type, yo."

Veld leaned back in his chair. "All the more reason for you to be informed." The director smiled. "Your instinct is top notch. It's good that you've already made contact with the target. You can use that."

Reno nodded and finished reading over the moderately redacted files, handing the confidential folder back to Veld. "Sure thing, boss. Gotta tell ya, I'm going to have a hard time keeping a straight face next time I see him… her… again. Damn." This was messing with his mind.

"One more thing," Tseng added. "Be on the lookout for AVALANCHE while in Costa del Sol. There may be activity. SOLDIER will be joining you in case there is trouble."

"Got it, yo." Reno replied, then stuffed his hands in his pockets. "So, the Science geeks have their sights on her, huh?"

"Hojo, personally," Veld clarified. "No getting attached to this one," he added ominously.

"I know that, yo." Nothing good ever came of gaining Hojo's attention. "Just gettin' to know what I'm dealing with."

* * *

Yuffie walked onto the launch pad with Niels following behind. They were both excited because this was the first time either of them had been given an assignment somewhere other than Midgar or the surrounding wastelands.

Reno was standing beside the helicopter, which was already prepped and running. Yuffie gave him a thumbs up, since she didn't feel like screaming over the noise. He looked at her for a moment with a strange look on his face, before his grin split and he returned the gesture. Weird.

Reno handed both of them a handset and tapped on the ear piece of the one he was wearing. They put them on, and she heard Reno's voice loud and clear over the helicopter blades. "They'll be flyin' us to Costa del Sol, yo. We'll meet two other Turks and a SOLDIER, who are already there. You need something, just speak normally. The headset cancels out the extra noise."

"Sweet," Yuffie said, trying it out. Sure enough, she heard herself clearly and she didn't have to yell. "So the cure you gave me worked perfectly. Fixed the hangover almost right away," She grinned mischievously. "I'm sure my sheep eyeball, behemoth horn, tomato juice cocktail would have worked, too, though… or the dried testicle jerky."

Reno looked like he was trying to keep a straight face, and somewhat failing. "Well thank goodness he got a good breakfast thanks to yours truly then, yo. Did you tell him what was in the tea?"

She shook her head. "Nah. I figured it would be best not to tell him that the main ingredient was mu pellets. I had the feeling that that one only worked if…"

She was cut off by Niels rushing off the helicopter and running to the railing, puking over the side. She looked at Reno, who was laughing so violently that the headset was cutting out half of it. Once he was able to, he tapped the head set again. "Open… pah haha! … Open line, yo." Followed by more laughter.

She frowned. Poor Niels. And he had been feeling better, too…

* * *

 _AN: While looking at the timeline, I came across some awkward truths... For one, at this point in the timeline, my Yuffie is 16, BUT... Reno is 18, and Sephiroth is 20. Yes, you read that right. According to official timeline SEPHIROTH was only 20 at the start of Crisis Core! (He was 27 in the base game, fyi.) I think the thing that is freaking me out is how young Reno and Sephy both are right now. And this is cannon timeline. =o_

 _Just in case you are curious:_

 _Niels is 15 (October birthday), Kunsel is 18 (as of February) , Zack the Puppy is 17 (January baby), and Cloud is 14 (Until Aug. 11). Yuffie was born on November 20th (turns 17) Did you know that Zack made 1st Class in just Three Years? I spent a LOT of time compiling the timeline into an excel Graphic..._

 _Um... I write because I like to, so I tend to write what I'd want to read. However, I've hit a snag. I am torn between two things: Loyalty to Cannon and Rockin' the Metaphorical Effin' Boat. If you feel some kinda way about any of these opposing ideas, drop me a PM._

 _1st thing: Saving Zack or Killing Zack._

 _2nd thing: Kunsel's Fate... (I.E. Death, Exile/fugitive with or without Yuffie, Stay with SOLDIER)_

 _3rd thing (and this is the big one) How TERRIBLE should I make Hojo's experimentation on Yuffie from a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being some simple poking and prodding, 10 being FUBAR'd For Life. (I'd place Zack and Cloud as a six on this scale, poor Lucrecia as an 8, and Sephiroth as a 9. Vincent is a 10. Anything beyond Five will have major main story repercussions, and eight or above will require an M rating...) My hubby said "Go Big or Go Home" but he had no clue what I was talking about..._


	10. AVALANCHE

_I'm not fluent in Japanese, nor do I own a Japanese phone. Therefore, I've never played Before Crisis. I have youtube knowledge coupled with wiki knowledge, so there you have it. :) Enjoy my Yuffie'd Interpretation!_

 _DISCLAIMER: Roses are Red, Copyright's Mean, Final Fantasy 7 doesn't belong to me._

Xxx

 **[ v ] εγλ 0001 : March 16, 8:00 am : Costa del Sol**

Niels was an uncaring, unfeeling, ungrateful, unsympathetic excuse for a human being, or so Yuffie felt after he had laughed at her pain. For the last hour of the plane ride, she had been fighting the stirrings of motion sickness, and was now breathing into a paper bag that Reno had given her. It was by sheer will that she had not thrown up yet, though that was still an improvement from her previous experiences. Back on the ship, no amount of will would have held back the tide. As it was, she still wanted to die, and Niels absolutely refused to be sympathetic. Yeah, so she had served him pellet tea. It had been to help him, damn it! Ingrate…

"Welcome to Costa del Sol, gentlemen!" one of the pilots announced over the headset.

Reno chuckled and joked back, "There ain't nothin' gentle about this lot, yo."

Yuffie couldn't agree more. "Just let me off this damn thing before I tear my own way out," she threatened. The effect was lessened by the effort she was making not to blow chunks.

A chuckle reverberated over the headset. "You got it," the pilot replied.

And true to his word, within five minutes they were landed and, in Yuffie's case, evacuating. She couldn't get off the plane soon enough, in her opinion.

As the others joined her in the open air, she took in several deep breaths and smiled at the smell of the sea so close by. She could almost taste the salt in the air, but she didn't mind it at all, as long as the ground was not moving.

"You weren't kidding, yo," Reno joked as he came up beside her, resting his EMR on his shoulder. Even though Yuffie had never seen the Turk in action, he'd been explaining the weapon to a curious Niels on the way over. Not being a fan of electric shock, she was glad Reno was on her side. For now. "Though I gotta hand it to ya, with the way you described it back at Shinra, I was expecting explosions," He gestured widely with his hands.

She was still antsy from her confinement in the moving monstrosity, and now he was going to tease her? Oh, he he was so in for it. "You want explosions, Turkey?" She accessed her fire materia and powered a flame in her hand, and challenged, "Let's go. You, me, right here, right now. I'll show you some real fireworks."

"Oh, ho! I've touched a nerve!" Reno smirked and press the button on his EMR. "Fireworks huh?" He held up the electrified weapon and taunted. "I think we could have some real _sparks_ between us."

Yuffie absolutely refused to blush. No need to make the others think she played for both teams, even if Reno obviously seemed to. Oh well. She had no choice but to kick his ass. In another life, and possibly in a dimension where Shinra was a crater in the ground, Yuffie might have enjoyed the shameless flirting, but as it was Yuri had a rep to protect.

"Uh, guys, I don't think this is quite the right time…" Niels started, probably trying to redirect their attention or something, not that Yuffie cared. This Turkey needed to be taught not to mess with Yuri Kisaragi.

"Shut up, Niels." "Shut up, Niels." They both said, momentarily looking at the dumbstruck 3rd Class before looking at each other and quickly shouting. "Copy cat!" and "Jinx!", respectively.

Reno laughed, turning off the EMR. "Jinx? What are you, five?"

Yuffie stuck her tongue out at him, snuffing the fire spell.

"New friend, Reno?"

Yuffie finally looked at what Niels had been trying to draw her attention to. Standing across the platform from them were Two Turks and a SOLDIER 2nd Class.

Reno smirked. "Yeah," he replied to the tall, bald Turk in sunglasses. He looked like a bouncer to Yuffie. Or a hitman. Either way worked. Reno turned to Yuffie and Niels. "This is my partner, Rude," he introduced, pointing to the big Turk, "and my rookie, Shotgun." Shotgun was a tall, athletic blonde with, sure enough, a shotgun propped on her shoulder.

"Freya, actually," the female Turk corrected. Yuffie was willing to bet that she'd had a privileged upbringing. She had the same semi-aristocratic bearing that a lot of the high born acolytes had during her time in the Temple of Leviathan.

"You actually know how to use that shotgun?" Yuffie asked before thinking it through. It was a valid question, though. A lot of the aristocratic brats that she knew had bought their way into their chosen professions.

Freya scowled. "Don't think that just because I'm a woman that I can't fight. I don't put up with that kind of misogynistic bull crap." Oh, the she-wolf had fangs! Yuffie smiled. She liked this chic, though it did feel odd being on the receiving end of being called sexist…

The SOLDIER 2nd Class put his fists on his hips. "SOLDIER 3rd Class, Yuri," he scolded. "Our mission is to cover the Turks and keep an eye out for AVALANCHE operatives. Are we going to have an issue here?"

Yuffie shook her head. "No, sir," she replied with her trademark grin. "I like _her_ just fine," she added, thumbing in the blonde Turk's direction.

"What about me?" Reno pouted.

"Reno." The single base toned sound drew everyone's attention. Wow, Yuffie thought sarcastically to herself. Rude was _obviously_ a man of many words.

Reno looked at his partner and tugged on his untidy jacket. "Oh, yeah. Right." He looked at Yuffie, Niels, and the 2nd Class and gave orders. Yuffie was a little surprised. He actually seemed to be taking it seriously. "Reports have come in that AVALANCHE may make an appearance." The three SOLDIERs as well as the Turks snapped to attention, the atmosphere charging with the seriousness of the mission. "The Turks are to follow SOLDIER Recruitment protocols, while you three patrol the town and surroundings. Its possible that AVALANCHE may try to kidnap any SOLDIER candidates, so Rude, Shotgun, and I will take candidates to the Shinra Frigate docked at the harbor and secure them there. SOLDIER 2nd Class Luxiere will give you specific orders."

Yuffie and Niels looked to the 2nd Class, Luxiere, who in turn, crossed his arms and grinned at them.

"Well, see ya!" Reno said lightly, leaving the platform with the other two Turks following him. And that, Yuffie observed, was the extent of Reno's seriousness. Rude adjusted his sunglasses, and Freya shot Yuffie in particular a self-assured smirk. Oh yeah. She was going to be one to look out for. Actually, Yuffie amended to herself, they all were.

"Alright, guys, here's the game plan," Luxiere began, drawing back Yuffie's attention while pulling up a simple map on his PHS and hitting a few buttons. Yuffie and Niels' devices dinged a moment later. "I just sent you both a divided map of the area." He waited a moment for the two 3rd Classes to pull open the file. "Niels, you are to patrol the area shaded blue. The area comprises of the public beach and board walk areas. Yuri, you will take the red area. This area comprises of the town entrance and docks. The purple area is where I will be."

"Question, sir," Niels asked, very properly.

"Its just 'Luxiere', Niels. Go ahead," the 2nd nodded.

"What exactly are we to do if we suspect someone of being AVALANCHE?" the 3rd Class asked. He shifted somewhat nervously. Yuffie didn't blame him. This was their very first non-monster extermination job, and unlike her, Niels had never fought against live human opponents. The closest he had come was friendly training and simulations.

Luxiere crossed his arms. "This is a priority mission. Usually, these types of missions aren't given to thirds, but with the shortage of personnel, it can't be helped. I'm not going to sugar coat it. If you suspect someone of being AVALANCHE, subdue immediately, and inform either myself or the Turks." He uncrossed his arms and stood with his fists on his hips again, taking the more aggressive stance when Niels looked a bit uncomfortable with the "shoot first, ask questions later" approach. "Let me put it this way; AVALANCHE poses not just a danger to Shinra security, but also to public safety. Keep the swimmers safe, and if someone seems dangerous, take him out. Discreetly, if you can."

Yuffie understood the concept. Shinra soldiers had used the same tactic against Wutaian townspeople during the war. Noncombatants treated as dangerous enemies and spies simply for being of a Wutaian heritage. It put a very foul taste in her mouth.

But this wasn't Wutai, they weren't in a war, and with luck, AVALANCHE might not even show up. Speaking of…

"Okay, but who exactly are these AVALANCHE guys? What are we looking for, _exactly_?" she asked.

"Hmm," Luxiere tapped his chin. "I'd say they look like a private military. A safe bet is if they look armed, but aren't a SOLDIER, Turk, or Shinra Infantryman. Another safe bet is if you see the AVALANCHE symbol somewhere on them. Looks like a skull and crossbones with an A on the face."

Yuffie nodded and checked the materia on her weapons. "Okie dokie, then."

Niels laughed. "Jeez, Yuri. You run so hot and cold. I'm not sure whether to be terrified of you or amused by you."

Yuffie tossed her trademark mischievous grin. "Be afraid, Niels. Be very afraid."

Luxiere shook his head. "Okay, newbies, lets get to work."

Yuffie and Niels both threw a salute in his direction and took off to their assigned patrols.

Xxx

 **2:30 pm :**

Reno shuffled along the walkway, tapping his EMR on his shoulder as he walked, one hand in his pocket. This job was just too easy. They had already found a lot of potential candidates, some willing, some not, and it seemed that Shotgun had a good lead on a whole slew of potentials at Club Duel. This was the last stop on the "Recruitment Drive" as they were calling it. Reno kicked a stone. In his own head, he could be honest. It was was company sanctioned kidnapping, but whatever. It was a job.

Besides, he'd been in this company long enough to know not to ask questions. Asking questions lowered life expectancy. And Reno? He was a survivor, first and foremost.

And speaking of not asking questions… there was his target, sitting on top of the brick archway at the entrance to the town, kicking her legs like a kid while playing with her flying sickle. It appeared as though she had made a game of tossing it and catching it as it returned.

"Jeez, you really are a kid," he said. He had half expected her to jump in surprise or something, but she just harrumphed as if she had known he was there all along, even though her back was to him. And maybe she had, with those enhanced SOLDIER senses and all. "What's the matter, yo? Bored?"

"Abso-stinking-lutely." She stood on the railing of the archway and stretched, rotating her waist side to side, then jumped down onto the ground below to be on the same level as him. He whistled. That had to be a fifteen foot drop.

"Ya know, you could of just taken the stairs," the Turk pointed out, literally pointing to the structure located five feet to the right of him.

She shrugged. "Whatever. Jumping was faster." She grinned and flipped the flying sickle in her hand. "Hey, you don't seem to be doing anything, and the outside of town is a ten foot step that way," she said, pointing behind her. "Wanna have a friendly spar?"

He smirked and tapped the EMR on his shoulder for emphasis. "You really just wanna see what my rod can do, don't you," he playfully accused. Sure she could have taken that the wrong way, but he wanted to see how she'd react.

She reacted by laughing loudly. "You know it, but you still aren't my type, Turkey."

"Awe, shucks," he mockingly replied. "Well, I think I'm going to have to decline. Aren't you supposed to be looking out for AVALANCHE or something?"

She flipped her sickle over her hand again. "Ain't seen one all day," she said. "Come on, just a quick spar? I promise I only need five minutes," the female SOLDIER begged.

He couldn't help but smirk. "You mean you really think you'll lose in five minutes?"

Yuri matched his smirk. "Nah, I think I'll win in five minutes. Probably less."

What the hell, he thought. Rude was guarding the ship and Shotgun could handle herself… He was supposed to be taking a nap anyway… "You got it, Tiny,"

She cheered and he followed her. "Oh, you are so going to pay for that," she said.

He had no warning as she unexpectedly whirled around and tossed her sickle almost faster than he could see. It whizzed by his head, missing him by near inches. He retaliated, charging his EMR and striking back, but she deflected it deftly with her sword. He vaguely registered the scream of pain behind him.

"Oh, looky there," she said in an almost sing-song voice, not even looking at him, but behind him. "Looks like I lied about not seeing anyone."

He gave her a hard glare and quickly glanced behind him before completely lowering his weapon. He had been certain she was attacking him for real…

Sure enough, pinned to the brick archway leading to Costa del Sol by one of the spikes of Yuri's flying sickle in his shoulder was an AVALANCHE operative.

The moment Reno lowered his weapon, Yuri sped past him and had her sword pointed to the operatives throat. "Where are the others?" she barked at the operative.

Reno took it in. So, she had been pretending to be bored and distracted to lure this guy out? And once that thought formed another dawned on him. She had just used him, Reno, as bait! Okay, her interrogation technique could use a hand, but to each his own. How was she not a Turk!? They must have really dropped the ball on the talent search.

The operative scowled and grimaced in pain as he shifted against the weapon that had him pinned. "Just… Just go ahead and kill me… Shinra Dog."

Reno stepped up to the plate. "Nah, you got the game wrong," he told the AVALANCHE soldier. "The game is Cat and Mouse. Guess which one you are."

The activist chuckled despite the pain. Guy had balls, in Reno's opinion. "What, afraid I'll steal your cheese, Turk? Don't think we're going to let you just kidnap people for your SOLDIER program." He turned a hard glance to Yuri, who still had her sword to his throat. "Kinda short. You one of the kids these bastards kidnapped for their science projects?"

Reno stilled. Their methods were part of the information that they had strictly withheld from their SOLDIER counterparts.

Yuri bristled. "So you are after the SOLDIER recruits," she correctly deduced, though didn't seem to react to the other allegations. Either she already knew, or just wasn't surprised. "And leave my height out of it. I'm still the one with a blade to your throat. Now talk and you might live. Where are the others?"

"Like… Like I… said," the pinned man repeated. "You might as well kill me, cause… cause I ain't talking." He looked at Reno. "And no matter, what I said… or what you… promised… I'm a dead man."

Yuffie glanced at Reno, who just gave a slight nod. The man was right about one thing. He was a dead man either way. He was wrong about not talking, though. His body language, the way he glanced in a certain direction, told Reno just what he wanted to know.

She met the hard gaze of the AVALANCHE soldier and seemed to hesitate for just a moment. She spoke a single phrase in Wutaian. The guy's whole expression changed to one of shock, then acceptance. After that, she quickly ended the enemy. Reno had to admit that had Yuri not killed him, the guy would have suffered a lot more under Reno's hand before he died. He wondered if Yuri knew that. And what had she told him?

"Well, at least now we know that AVALANCHE is here, yo," he said while Yuri cleaned off her blade and fetched her sickle.

He had let his guard down, so he only had himself to curse when instead of putting her sword away, the turned it on him, holding it just under his chin in much the same way as she had with AVALANCHE man. The look in her opalescent purple eyes was cold as she addressed him. "Now, I want the truth, Turk. Are you kidnapping children for the SOLDIER program?"

Reno scowled at the thought. "Hell no!"

She pressed closer. "Not children, then who?"

He played it cool. "Why you think we're kidnapping anyone, yo?"

If looks could kill, Reno had no doubt that he'd be a dead man five times over. "I'm not an idiot. I could tell that not all of those guys you've taken on board today looked entirely happy. Not to mention, I'm willing to bet you have a manipulate materia on you right now."

Wow, she called it. He sighed and held up his hands. "Alright, you got me. We are under orders from the Prez to recruit new SOLDIERs using any means possible." He frowned. "But these guys are fighters, thugs, and brutes. Strongest of the Strong, yo."

Yuri shook her head and slightly lowered the weapon. "But why recruit by force at all? Won't that make the new SOLDIERs liabilities if they didn't want to be SOLDIER in the first place?"

Reno shrugged. "Now I know why you aren't a Turk, yo. You ask too many questions. Truth is, we just follow orders, ya know?"

Yuffie completely lowered her sword. Her voice was distant when she replied. "Yeah, I know."

Huh. No jokes, no jibes. No snappy remarks. Something was eating at the SOLDIER. She sheathed her weapons and turned on her heel, marching back into town. "Hey, where ya going?" he called as he followed after her.

She didn't even spare him a glance. "I've got a mission. Support the Turks and Take out any AVALANCHE operative who might show up. Just following orders," she answered. That last bit sounded very sarcastic.

Yeah, Reno thought. And if Yuri is there at the ship, she could check the guys Shotgun brings and make sure they were what he said they were. The manipulative little cross dresser.

"Yeah, but I'd be willing to bet that their ship..."

"Is off the coast to the south," Yuri interrupted, proving that she had caught the guys nervous eye gesture as well. "I don't have a boat, I don't like boats, and if we found their boat and rowed out to it, we'd be sitting ducks for open fire." The SOLDIER waved a dismissive hand. "No, thank you. I'll just wait for the bad guys to come to me."

Reno could respect that. Hell, he'd have probably done the same thing.

"Hey, what did you say to that guy back there?" he asked. "Ya know, before you snuffed him."

She stopped abruptly and punched him square in the nose as she rounded on him. It wasn't elegant, wasn't her style, and he wasn't expecting it.

"Ow!" he yelped, falling back.

She shook her hand. "Sorry, my reflex slipped," she crossed her arms, not looking sorry at all.

"That's one hell of a reflex," he gripped, holding is nose. "Question still stands though."

"Its personal," she replied, continuing on to the docks.

"It was Wutaian," he countered, chasing after. "AVALANCHE is based in Wutai."

"I'm Wutaian. Its in my profile," she shot back. "Its no secret."

"It could have been company secrets," he rebutted, even though he doubted it.

"He's dead," she stated with finality.

He had nothing to say to that. It was true. The guy was dead now. Yuri could have given that soldier the secret to the universe and there wouldn't be anything he could do about it now.

"Fine," he relented. "Don't tell me, then. It's not important anyway." She walked on to the docks and he passed her, heading on toward the ship, this time with her following. "You can't go below deck, yo," he said.

"Pff, as if I'd want to," she shot back. "You know how I do on moving vehicles. Boats just don't stay still. Like, _Ever_." She then vanished to the rooftops of the nearest guard station.

Reno shook his head and went on to talk to Rude. Man, did he have his work cut out for him with this one.

* * *

 _AN: I realized while writing this chapter that it was going to be waaaay longer than all my others... so I've decided to bust it up juuuust a tad!_

 _As always, thank you so much for the likes and reviews!_

 _JeJe: Big it is! Thanks for the confidence boost! :D_


	11. Decisions and Daiquiris

_I had fun playing in Paint dot net earlier… made a spliced picture of my cross-dressing Yuffie. :D It made me happy. I might link to it on my profile… Yeah, lemme go do that._

 _DISCLAIMER: If I owned FF7, I would have made a chocobo version of My Little Pony by now. Since My Little Chocobo does not exist, I don't own FF7._

* * *

[ v ] εγλ 0001 : March 16, 3:00 pm : Costa del Sol Docks

Yuffie watched Reno walk up the ramp to the deck of the Shinra cargo boat, where he stopped briefly to talk to Rude. Even from this distance, Yuffie could identify both of the Turks by their distinctive features quite easily. It was somewhat amusing to her that an organization known for stealth and underhanded tactics was made up of people who otherwise stood out like a sore thumb. After a moment, Reno went below deck and Rude looked in her direction and adjusted his sunglasses.

She apparently didn't have room to talk. In Wutai, it was easy to find a high position and blend in, hide, wait for the right moment to strike. Here, in this mostly deserted dock, there was no where to hide, and just a mediocre vantage point in the form of a guard station roof. It wasn't entirely terrible. Sure, it lacked a 360 degree view, but it did offer a good view of the coast lines to the north and south, the docks, and the town entrance that she had been posted at earlier. A large wall obscured a good deal of her view into town, but Niels and Luxiere should have those areas covered. She could see what she needed to see, and that was what mattered.

As it was, the female SOLDIER was wound up and ready for an all-out fight against anyone, really. AVALANCHE would just have to do for now, however, since beating Turks was bound to get her in trouble with the company currently holding her leash. To be honest, though, she was torn. The terrorist organization was based in Wutai, and even though Yuffie had serious doubts that Wutai itself was backing them, she felt a lingering kinship to the cause.

So far, she had seen nothing about them that made them her enemies. The opposite, in fact. Just last month they had attempted to assassinate the president. True, they had also tried to blow up a reactor, and they had tried to hijack the Junon Mako Cannon to fire at Midgar. While those acts were extreme, were they any different than what the late Hierarch had asked of her? While she pretended to bark for her Shinra masters, she was supposed to be finding ways to bite the hand. What had she done so far? Nothing, except help that one Shinra informant get away a few days ago. Her pride still hurt over that one. She supposed she could have been thankful that Kunsel had- in the end- helped her out, but because of the witnesses she'd left behind, she'd had to surrender her favorite weapon. That 4-point Shuriken had been hers since she was twelve. Even now, she missed it. The flying sickle was okay, and a decent replacement, but it just wasn't the same.

She had two choices. Where there was one terrorist, there were bound to be more. She could use this opportunity to make herself look good and get closer to a promotion. On the other hand, she could use her current position to help AVALANCHE free the SOLDIER recruits. It was a tricky situation. If she helped free the recruits, and got caught, she'd not only not get a promotion, but she'd lose any hope of ever helping Wutai again because she'd be dead. If she took an active role in defeating AVALANCHE, she'd be closer to a promotion, but she'd also be helping Shinra.

And she couldn't stand it. It was a no-win situation. Which was better for Wutai in the long run? She just didn't know.

"Leviathan, guide my hand and show my enemies the mercy that I cannot," she repeated the Wutaian prayer that she had recited before killing the activist at the gateway. She didn't know if the guy had recognized the words, the context, or just the language spoken, but the way he accepted his death was familiar. It was the look of one who was willing and ready to die for his principles. It was an honorable death. She knew the Turk would not have given him the same.

Perhaps that is where she fit into the picture. At the moment, Shinra had her pinned. There wasn't a way to play both sides without getting caught this time. Therefore, she needed to at least give a swift and honorable death to those she met today. Shinra and the Turks would not offer AVALANCHE the same deal.

Her PHS chimed. She took out the device and flipped it open, pressing the button to check the message. It was from Kunsel.

"Looking for Motivation:

So, I see you are in Costa del Sol. How's the weather? I bet it must be hot in that 3rd Class Uniform. By the way, when you get a chance, check out the shops. I hear there is a weapon smith there thats been working on a pretty nice weapon you might be interested in. If its ready, it seems like your style.

Have you ever seen Loveless? One of the SOLDIERs who vanished loved the play. I've never seen it myself, but I'm curious. Care to join me when you get back to Midgar?

-Kunsel"

Yuffie read through the note several times, trying to read between all the lines. At first glance, the message was friendly and straight forward enough, but she knew better. "Hot in the 3rd Class uniform" probably meant that he knew she was going through some tough stuff. Mentioning the weapon smith might have been his way of making up for taking her weapon, even if she had offered it up. She wondered if it was another shuriken-type weapon. The last bit about Loveless probably tied into the title of the message. He wanted her to help him with something when she got back.

She shook her head and closed the message. He sure was quick to use this alliance they had. A worrying thought crossed her mind. What if she had to kill him one day? If it came down to her, him, or Wutai, what would she pick? Maybe it was best not to get attached.

And while that thought process worked its way through her head, she thumbed down her contacts list. It wasn't an extensive list. Doc Yusef was on there. She hadn't needed him yet, and with SOLDIER enhancements might not ever need him, but if she got sick, he was who she'd go to. Niels and Berrick were also on there, as well as Kunsel. And the last person on her list was Cloud. Speaking of attachments…

The kid was earnest. He really wanted to be strong and for a good reason. He'd promised a girl back home that he'd come to her rescue some day. Yuffie couldn't help but feel all warm and squishy inside at the thought. It was just too sweet! The little chocobo-head wasn't in Shinra to become some blood-thirsty maniac. He just wanted to be a hero for his childhood sweetheart. She just hoped beyond hope that Shinra didn't ruin him.

She hadn't meant to press the call button, really. But now it was ringing. She put the receiver to her ear and after two more rings, a hopeful, cheerful voice answered. It made her feel better knowing that kids like Cloud still existed.

"Yuri! How is the mission going?" he asked, sounding slightly worried, probably because she was calling him in the middle of said mission.

She couldn't help but smiling, even if he couldn't see it. "Its going alright, Blondie. I'm just bored as hell, you know? Nothing but sun and sand here. No baby chocobos to tease."

"Go bother some Turkeys instead, then," he replied. She could almost see the pout on his face. He was so fun to pick on, but at least she was rubbing off on him! Turkeys, indeed. Ke, he, he.

"But Cloudy! Its just not the same!" She teased. "How did maneuvers go this morning?"

Excitement poured over the phone as Cloud regaled her with the tale of how they had come across a group of Kalm Fangs who had been preying on the local chocobos. He, Cloud Strife, had actually managed to save one of his fellow infantrymen from disembowelment thanks to his improving reflexes. The other infantryman had been so thankful that it was embarrassing, Cloud said, and Yuffie could imagine that, too. Praise seemed to go over the kid's head, like he couldn't understand it.

"Seriously, though. I'm sure he would have done the same if our positions had been reversed," Cloud said. Yuffie seriously doubted it. Her protege was one of a kind.

"Keep it up, shrimp, and you'll be SOLDIER in no time," she smirked into the PHS. "And then you can finally confess to that girl you like."

Yuffie could practically hear the blush. "Uh, yeah, so, I gotta go now, Yuri. Bye!" And then the little snot hung up on her.

"Never change, Cloud," she said wistfully to the disconnected PHS before putting it away.

Just in time too, because approaching the cargo ship was Freya, accompanied by a merry band of the toughest customers Yuffie had ever seen.

She put on her SOLDIER facade and called down to the Turk. "Hey, Freya!" She waved her hand as Shotgun looked up. "That pied piper vibe is really going for ya!"

The female turk met Yuffie's smile with a proud smirk of her own. "You are looking at the new King of Club Duel."

Yuffie jumped down off the roof and landed deftly in front of the group of candidates. Some of them flinched back. Those guys were cowards, despite the worn leather and rough-n-tough exterior. Some, however stood fast. These guys were the real deal, and they even looked a little scuffed up, to boot. Yuffie knew the Club Duel rules. To become King, you had to be the strongest, which meant defeating the top four in one-on-one combat.

"Our new king took on four of us at once," a bulky blond man touted, stepping closer to throw shade over Yuffie as he looked down on her. "I'd like to see you do the same, shrimp."

Yuffie wasn't going to have any of that. Quicker than he could react, Yuffie reached back and punched him square in the nose, sending him flying back ten feet into the crowd of candidates. When he didn't get back up again, she knew he was either out cold or dead. She stepped forward to check, sending the candidates stepping backwards and out of her way. His chest was still moving, even if his nose was pouring blood. Oh, good. He was still alive.

She picked up the bloodied fighter and slung him over her shoulder as if he weighed half of what he actually did, and smiled at Freya. "Really? You took on four of these guys? Maybe we should spar later," she suggested, actually looking forward to the prospect. She couldn't remember the last time she'd hung out with another girl, and never with one that was a fighter as well. Even if she had to pretend to be male while doing it, it sounded like fun.

Freya used the opportunity to pep talk the recruits. "You see this guy here? The one picking up your former king and throwing him around like he was nothing more than a bag of rice? This is a SOLDIER. You wanna be strong like that, then follow me."

Several of the candidates cheered at the idea, while a few more looked doubtful. One or two even sent Yuffie fearful looks, as if she was a monster that they were expecting to attack at any moment. They threw furtive glances in her direction as they followed after Freya onto the ship.

"Boo!" she taunted, jumping forward at them, then laughed as they ran up the gangplank. It really was sad. These guys all looked like ruffians of the toughest degree, and they were afraid of her. Would these guys even make decent SOLDIERs?

She carried the unconscious former king up to the boat, where Rude took him away from her. Freya had already dropped off her crew below deck and was returning with Reno.

Rude gave Yuffie a silent nod, acknowledging her presence, and then looked at Freya. "Good job, Shotgun. You gathered more people than we expected."

Reno grinned and poked fun at Freya, "You're still a long way off from being on our level, though." He winked at her, "Thats just the way it is. Hurry up and surpass us, yo."

The female Turk propped her shotgun on her shoulder and smirked. "Of course I will. I'm already closing in on you and Rude."

"Thats Shotgun, for ya," he said with a grin to Rude. "Plenty of confidence."

"For real," Yuffie couldn't help but agree. Something about Freya being a female in a male dominated field made her want to take up for the Turk. She crossed her arms. "I think she's earned it. I mean, I've been watching and what she just brought in was almost twice what you guys have all day."

Rude readjusted his tie and looked a little uncomfortable while Reno defensively stated, "Hey, I had other things to take care of, yo." He thumbed to the unconscious guy on Rude's shoulder. "And I've brought in much tougher guys than this, yo. Quality over quantity, you know?"

"Oh yeah, I was wondering," Freya cut in. "You guys have brought in a lot of candidates before, right?" Both Turks nodded. "Then why aren't there enough SOLDIER members yet?"

Reno walked over to Yuffie and threw an arm across her shoulders. "Well, take a look at my man, Yuri, here. Lots of qualities are needed to join SOLDIER." The red headed turk shrugged. "A lot of the goons we bring in won't even make the cut, yo."

Freya considered Yuffie, who was in the process of shoving the boisterous Turk away from her. "Rare talent, huh?" the female turk wondered.

"Pff, yeah," Yuffie scoffed, scowling at Reno. The turk was going to lose an arm if he tried to use her for an armrest again. "Mako tolerance and the ability to kick ass and look good doing it," she bragged before addressing the matter that had been bothering her. "To be honest, though, I don't see a lot of these thugs making good SOLDIERs, in the first place. Hell some of em looked like they were ready to mess their pants when I punched out twinkle toes over there," she finished, pointing a finger at the former king. "What happens to the ones who don't make it?"

Freya also looked at the two senior Turks. "That is a good question."

Rude looked stoic, his expression unreadable behind his sunglasses. "Catch and release," he said plainly.

Reno chuckled. "Yep, just like regular fishermen, we are, yo."

A scream echoed from below deck, followed by a loud commotion that garnered all four people's attention. "My, they sure are noisy. I should go check it out," Freya said.

Yuffie frowned. "I'll come with you," she said, taking a step to follow.

Reno blocked her. "Sorry, but can't let you do that, Yuri. Rules and all." He looked at Rude. "You go, man. I'm sure its nothing you and the rookie can't handle."

Yuffie weighed her options. She was certain that she could get past Reno no problem. The issue came with what happened afterwards. Going directly against the Turks would not help her in any way, but… "What if its AVALANCHE or something?"

Reno shook his head. "Fat chance of that below deck. We've been up here the entire time, and there's only one way in and out, yo." He pointed to the dock. "That's where they're coming from, if at all."

She glared at the Turk, but he obviously wasn't' going to budge. "Fine, whatever," she said, walking back to the dock. "I'm going to go patrol the beach or something. Don't blame me if AVALANCHE sneaks in here behind your back, though."

Reno laughed. "Yeah, like that's going to happen, yo."

Yuffie shook her head. It might if I let it, she thought as she walked away. Just because she wasn't going to let AVALANCHE have the candidates, doesn't mean that the turks got to keep them, either.

* * *

It was nearing evening and the sun was just beginning to sink into the mountains separating the coastal resort from the mining town of Corel. Off the coast was a ship, smaller than the Shinra freighter but large enough to carry a decent amount of men across the ocean. In its side was the painted symbol of the Skull and A, the insignia of AVALANCHE. Distance and the rolling hills of the plains were Yuffie's only cover, aided slightly by the occasional tropical tree or shrubbery as she kept watch on the enemies movements. Through her binoculars, she watched as a second contingent of men began marching up the beach towards the docks of Costa del Sol.

She knew that this was a dangerous game that she was playing. According to orders, the SOLDIER should have engaged and taken out the enemy troops already, not silently tailed them. But she was waiting for AVALANCHE to do what she couldn't. The Turks could handle themselves, and if they couldn't? Well, that would be one less Turk to worry about.

She turned her binoculars back to the direction of the docks. Shotgun was holding her own against the oncoming troops, but she was getting sloppy. Some had gotten past her, including the AVALANCHE Leader. Shortly after Freya went below deck, a flood of men, most likely the captive candidates, came pouring out onto the dock. Some dispersed into the town, while others were led by a small group of AVALANCHE troops towards the ship.

Yuffie smirked. She got what she wanted, now it was time to get to work.

She unsheathed her sword and flying sickle and waited for the right moment to strike. The enemy was quickly approaching, and the moment they cleared the town with the escaped captives in tow, she charged, blocking the way to the enemy boat. Without a warning, she shot lightning into the ranks of the troops, scattering them.

"Anyone who doesn't want to join SOLDIER or AVALANCHE had better run for the hills!" she warned the escapees as she threw her flying sickle and took down an AVALANCHE fighter.

"But, the Turks will get us!" one of the candidates protested.

She deflected and dodged bullets, rushing another member of AVALANCHE and cutting him down with her sword. She then turn the sword on the cowards. "Look, either make for Corel or die. If you join AVALANCHE, you'll die by SOLDIER instead of becoming one. Got it?" She glanced in the direction of the ship, hearing the sound of reinforcements. Sure enough, a whole new set of AVALANCHE guys were bearing down on her. She pushed the wimp away. "Get going, last warning."

He nodded with a weak "Thanks," then took off with several of the other candidates, the others having fled at her first warning.

Distractions gone, she threw herself whole-heartedly into battle, tearing through the rank and file. All of them seemed to be armed with guns, so she moved in close, putting their ranged attacks at disadvantage, weaving in and out of the AVALANCHE troops to confuse the enemy bullets. These guys were too easy.

She shot another blast of lightning into a group of troops and then brought her sword down on the fighter in front of her. To her shock, the blow was deflected by an opposing sword.

The new fighter was a short brunette, blue eyed woman wearing a frayed white cape. Her green jacket, cropped trousers, and combat boots reminded her of the outfits that she used to wear back when she fought in Wutai. The woman's katana was definitely Wutaian, even if the woman herself was not.

The new fighter attacked Yuffie with a flurry of blows that even the ninja had a hard time keeping up with. She couldn't deny that this woman was skilled. Too skilled.

Yuffie disengaged and leapt backwards, keeping a good ten feet between herself and the katana-wielding woman. "Who are you?" she demanded.

"I am called Elfe," the woman answered. "I am the leader of the men who you have shamelessly cut down. Prepare yourself, Shinra Dog!" and once again Elfe charged Yuffie.

As they fought, or more like, as Yuffie defended, the peices of the puzzle clicked into place. This woman wasn't just some AVALANCHE lackey… she was the head honcho! The big cheese, the boss, the master overlord! Even Yuffie had heard about this woman's battle with Sephiroth a month ago. Sephiroth had won, but she was still standing and fighting. It took something special to stand up to the Demon of Wutai and live to tell the tale! Yuffie deflected another blow and was pushed backwards into the sand. It was beginning to look like Elfe was too much for her to handle, after all.

Instead of getting up immediately, she grabbed a fistful of sand and threw it into the charging woman's eyes. Elfe stumbled with a yell, fighting to regain her sight. Yuffie used the opportunity to roll out of the way and regain her footing, casting an ice spell at the woman's feet. Elfe dodged the spell, almost as if she had a sixth sense despite being blinded, and charged at Yuffie with her katana.

The AVALANCHE leader's fighting was hindered by her momentary handicap, but she still fought like a person possessed. Now on even ground, Yuffie was able to fight back, but Elfe had enough to skill and strength to hold her own, even partially blinded. The female SOLDIER thought quickly. If she could capture one of AVALANCHE's leaders, then gaining rank would be easy. However, that would also remove one of the thorns from Shinra's side.

She deflected another blow from Elfe's katana. A traditional Wutaian weapon. Perhaps it was a sign? "Leviathan, guide my hand," she said, slipping into her native tongue, to the shock of the AVALANCHE leader.

Elfe overcame her shock quickly. "Who are you?" she demanded, parroting the question Yuffie had asked earlier.

"Yuri Kisaragi, SOLDIER 3rd Class," she answered, throwing a fireball that Elfe dodged. While the woman was slightly off balance, the ninja swept of her leg behind Elfe's, knocking her prone. Now that she finally had the advantage, Yuffie held the AVALANCHE leader's attention at sword point and continued her introduction. "Hidden Blade of Wutai. For today, a reluctant enemy."

Elfe narrowed her eyes at the SOLDIER 3rd. "And why do you fight, Yuri Kisaragi?"

"For the future and honor of my home," Yuffie said without a second thought. She knew her purpose.

Elfe chuckled, despite being held to the ground at sword point. It was a small, slightly amused sound. "How strange it is, that a mere 3rd Class can have such a profound purpose while even the Great General himself is unclear of his reasons." Her eyes, red from the sand, met Yuffie's own amethyst eyes asking sincerely. "Tell me, do you think that delving deeper into the pit of Shinra will allow you to maintain that clear sense of purpose?"

Instead of answering, Yuffie accessed her sleep materia, and cast. Once Elfe was under the spells affect, she put away her weapons and replied, "I sure hope so."

She looked down at the sleeping AVALANCHE leader and tried to decided what to do with her. She sure had gotten lucky with being on a sandy beach, otherwise there was no doubt that Yuffie would be a goner right now. Even partially blinded, Elfe had been super hard to beat. She wasn't even sure how long the woman would stay under the sleep effect…

"Elfe!"

Yuffie turned, startled towards the man who was now charging her from across the beach. She cursed. It was just her luck that the other AVALANCHE leader was on his way.

"What did you do, you bastard!" He swung a fist directly at her face, and she ducked, barely dodging the blow.

"She's just…" She dodged another blow, "… sleeping…" and blocked the last one with arms crossed in front of her, holding her ground. The force caused her heels to dig into the sand behind her. "Jeez!"

"Shears!"

And there was Reno with his big mouth, followed closely by Rude.

Shears, as Reno identified him, cursed loudly, and finally caught Yuffie in the nose. While she fell to a knee and cursed, the AVALANCHE leader took the opportunity to snatch up the sleeping Elfe. "I'd love to stay and defeat you losers again, but I've got something to take care of!" He took off running towards the AVALANCHE boat, leaving the Turks and the SOLDIER in his dust. He was already paddling away by the time Reno and Rude caught up to Yuffie.

She stood and wiped the blood from her nose. "Damn," she said with feeling.

Reno scowled. "I hear ya," he turned to Rude. "We were this close, man! I can't believe he didn't stay and fight."

"Seems he took someone with him," Rude added.

Yuffie scowled. "That was Elfe, leader of AVALANCHE. I had her under sleep status."

Reno looked at her, shocked. "You defeated Elfe?!"

She crossed her arms. "Of course. I'm not called the Azure Dragon of SOLDIER for nothing!"

"…" Rude replied.

"… You aren't called that by anyone but yourself, yo…" Reno added.

"Whatever," she replied, dropping her arms and storming off back into town. "Its your fault that Shears guy got her, by the way." And she left it at that. She had been debating letting Elfe go, herself, but there was no point in the Turks knowing that. At least this way she didn't have a hard decision to face anymore. Until next time.

* * *

The Turks took off for Midgar shortly after they arrived back in town. Shotgun had actually managed to recapture several of the escaped candidates, and a few even came back of their own free will, including a beast of a guy named Azul. Yuffie shuddered at the thought of that guy ever being in SOLDIER. Oh well, at least he was willing.

AVALANCHE was gone, the Turks were gone, and the SOLDIER's mission was officially over. Now, Yuffie, Niels, and Luxiere were sitting at a bar in Costa del Sol, drinking virgin daiquiris, watching a group of girls dance to the music like there was no tomorrow, and waiting for the pilot to be sober so that they could return to Midgar as well.

Luxiere raised his glass. "Well, gentlemen, here's to another mission completed."

Yuffie and Niels clinked glasses with him and took a drink of their non-alcoholic beverages. Yuffie decided that she didn't like the taste of the alcohol since it did nothing for her and Niels had sworn off alcohol for the foreseeable future, and Luxiere just didn't want to drink alone. Hence, virgin drinks.

"It would have been even more successful if those Turks hadn't let that Shears guy steal my prisoner," Yuffie groused. She could at least make a good show of being disappointed.

Niels chuckled. "I still can't believe you defeated the leader of AVALANCHE."

Luxiere smiled behind his cup. "Believe it. That Turk, Reno, even put it in his official report."

That news shocked Yuffie. "How do you know that?"

The 2nd Class flipped open his phone and glanced at it. "Kunsel texted me earlier. Told me to pick up something for him, give you a big pat on the back, and tell you 'better luck next time'."

How did Kunsel get his information? He had to have a secret network or something. And then it sunk in. It was in the official reports that she, Yuri Kisaragi, SOLDIER 3rd Class, had defeated The Leader of AVALANCHE. She could almost taste 2nd Class now.

* * *

 _AN: So, those of you who actually played or read about Before Crisis probably noticed two things: 1st- I only gave Azul the barest of mentions, even though he was pretty central to the mission in the game, and 2nd- I added in a spare Elfe, since she wasn't in this mission at all. With adding SOLDIER to the mission roster, I wanted to add some fire power to the AVALANCHE side, and Elfe pretty much fits the bill. I do miss not having the final fight between Shears and the Turks, but noting his motivations, it wouldn't have made sense with Elfe in the mix. I'm pretty sure he'd see to her safety first. Reno and Rude will just have to get their revenge on him later. (for those who played the game and know what I'm talking about)_


	12. Loveless

_AN: Life._

* * *

 **[ ν ] - εγλ 0001 - April 1st**

Yuffie picked at the mystery meat and green lumps of pseudo-veggies on her lunch tray and grumbled. It had been two weeks since they had returned from Costa del Sol, but not a word was said about her defeat of the AVALANCHE leader. Apparently, those things didn't count if the enemy gets away in the end. It really had put a damper on the good mood she'd returned with.

She wasn't the only one in a funk, either. There were whispers all through the company about mass desertions, SOLDIER Firsts vanishing, and speculation on when AVALANCHE would strike next. All of the bad juju was casting a pall over the dining hall.

Well, for all except for Cloud, who was shifting in his seat as if he was sitting on a very uncomfortable secret.

"SOLDIER exams are next January," he finally interjected into the silence.

Yuffie looked up from her meal, her interest peeked. "Yeah?"

He nodded. "I'll turn fifteen in August, and they'll let me try again after that." He cleared his throat. "I think I'll have a shot, thanks to you." The look on his face was a mixture of discomfort, anxiety, and happiness.

At first, Yuffie was speechless, but then she grinned widely. She pounced on the unsuspecting infantryman and put him in a headlock, giving him a noogie, completely ignoring the stares that they were beginning to garner. "Now that's more like it!" she happily exclaimed, releasing and letting him catch his breath. "Yup! In eight months time, I'll be second class, and you'll be third, and we will take over the world!" She said with a pose, throwing a fist into the air.

Cloud shook his head as he tried to unsuccessfully fix his hair and gave the SOLDIER Third an unhappy frown. "Yuri…" he said exasperatedly.

"What?" she replied, slipping back into her seat, throwing a scowl in the direction of some of the gawkers across the cafeteria. They eventually turned around to mind thier own business, mindful not to catch the ire of the crazy Wutaian SOLDIER. She turned her attention back to her protege. He was looking at her with a curious mixture of suspicion and curiosity. She could just imagine the gears turning in the brain behind those blue eyes.

"When is your birthday?" he asked innocently.

"November 20th," she replied immediately. "Why?"

Cloud crossed his arms, giving her a smug grin much like her own. "I knew it! Since we are both 14, that means I'll turn 15 first." He pointed triumphantly at her. "I'm older than you!"

Yuffie stared at him blankly. How in the world…? Then it dawned on her. Her paperwork listed her as being two years _younger_ than she actually was. Which meant… "Well, damn." And what made it worse was that she couldn't even correct him.

Cloud's face got very serious. "I bet I'll be taller than you, too."

Yuffie couldn't deny that. She knew biology was against her getting much taller than she was. Double damn. She growled, "What's your point, Blondie?"

He gave her one of his small smiles. "No more noogies or ruffling my hair like a little kid."

She frowned and sighed. At least he was beginning to come into his own now. Two months ago he wouldn't have dared cross her. "I guess it can't be helped, then," she said and held out her hand. "So long to the good old days," she sighed. He grasped her hand to shake it, and she pulled him back into another headhold, making sure his hair was good and messed up. "Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!" she chuckled evilly.

"Achem. Am I interrupting?"

Yuffie looked up and saw Kunsel, complete with helmet, looking at them with his arms crossed. She immediately dropped Cloud and pretended that he had caught her doing nothing untoward while the younger boy regained his bearings. "Oh, hey there, Kunsel! Fancy seeing you here."

"Well, this is the company cafeteria," the Second Class responded, taking a seat at their table. "Who's your victim?" he asked, looking at Cloud.

Yuffie and Cloud sat back down. "Kunsel, this is Cloud. Cloud, Kunsel," Yuffie introduced them quickly. "Cloud is my protege," she added proudly. "Give him a year or two, and he just might be as awesome as I am."

Kunsel chuckled. "And here I was checking to see if you were out of your slump. I guess I had nothing to worry about."

She scowled and crossed her arms. "Gawd, no need to be so serious."

"Says the guy who's been in a slump for the past two weeks," Cloud interjected.

She turned her scowl on him. "I have not been in a slump."

"I think the training sessions for the past two weeks beg to differ," the infantryman returned.

Kunsel watched the exchange and began to put two and two together. "What, exactly, have you been teaching him, Yuri?" he asked.

She replied as innocently as she could manage while looking at the ceiling. "Oh, a bit of this, and a bit of that. Mainly Wutaian sword forms."

Mainly, huh? Kunsel was suddenly reminded of a brief period of chaos not too long ago. He looked at Cloud, who looked at Yuffie, who looked back at Kunsel with a grin. The younger male shifted in his seat, then gave Kunsel a small Yuri-like smile.

It was both amusing and disconcerting to the Second Class.

He turned to Yuri. "So this is what you do with your free time," he said with a smile. "Try not to corrupt him too much."

Yuri huffed. "Whatever. He's like the younger brother I never had! All corruption will be one hundred percent natural."

"Actually, I'm older," Cloud corrected.

She scowled at her protege, who simply smiled back.

Kunsel chuckled. It was nice to see Yuri back to her regular self. He could tell that something had been eating at her for the past two weeks. Something else had happened at Costa del Sol that she wasn't talking about, he was sure of it. A simple lack of recognition wouldn't have caused her to be as despondent as she had been recently. He reached into his pocket and put his fingers on the two tickets in his pocket.

"By the way, Yuri," he addressed her, drawing her attention away from the infantryman. "There is a showing of Loveless happening this evening, and I don't really feel like going by myself. Care to be my plus one?"

Yuffie remembered him mentioning this in a message a few weeks ago. Still, she was surprised he had been serious. "You want me to go see a play? With you?"

The Second nodded. "Sure. You might even like it. Besides, I'd like to hear your insight."

Yuffie thought about it for a moment. Plays weren't really her thing. She was almost certain that it would be dull and drab, and she'd be forced to sit for way longer than she was accustomed to. She was opening her mouth to turn him down when he interjected.

"And before you say no, I'm not above a bit of coercion. I got you a little surprise if you come along willingly," the helmeted SOLDIER smirked.

oOo

Cloud silently watched the exchange between the two SOLDIERs and noticed two things: First, Yuri's expression was unreadable. Second, he had the odd feeling of being a third wheel. He couldn't see Kunsel's face due to the helmet, but he was pretty sure from the Second Class SOLDIER's stance that his request was more than just an invitation to recreation. Or perhaps... did Kunsel _like_ Yuri? In... _that_ way? The young infantryman knew that such things happened, but the idea was just too weird.

"What is it?" Yuri asked cautiously. Cloud noticed the way his mentor's eyes narrowed, as if he suspected something was afoot.

"Something you'll like," Kunsel baited, offhandedly. "And no, I won't give you a hint." That sounded...

Yuri crossed his arms. Cloud could almost see the cogs turning in the ninja's head. Wasn't this the same SOLDIER that Yuri had a vendetta against? The infantryman was so confused. Weren't plays supposed to be something you did on a date? Not to mention, Kunsel had a "surprise"...

"Okay, I'll go," Yuri agreed. The smile on Kunsel's face widened. Yuri looked at Cloud and paused. "Dude... are you blushing?"

Cloud rubbed his cheeks vigorously and shook his head. "Whatever!" he denied a bit too loudly, looking anywhere but at Yuri. He took a deep breath. It was just a play. It wasn't like Yuri and Kunsel were going on a _date_ or anything.

"Well, then its a date?" Kunsel asked Yuri for clarification. Cloud's eyes widened.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Yuri answered with a dismissive wave of his hand. He turned to Cloud. "Hey, Blondie, wanna come with?" he asked.

While Cloud sat flabberghasted as to how to answer, Kunsel frowned. "Actually, the show is already sold out and I only have two tickets," he said.

Yuri frowned as well. "Oh, bummer," his mentor said, "Sorry, Cloudy."

"No, that's alright," he replied hastily, "I'm sure you'll have fun or something." He inwardly winced. _Fun or something?_

Yuri laughed. "Yeah it might be something, all right."

Kunsel chuckled and shook his head. "Hey, this play gets rave reviews," he defended, then said to Cloud, "Sorry, man. Next time, I'll make sure to include you."

Cloud wasn't sure how to take that. So instead, he stood and gathered his tray. "Don't worry about it. I've got drills anyway," he excused himself. "Later, Yuri."

"Yeah, later," Yuri replied giving him a suspicious look.

He dumped his tray and left to go do some actual drills, hopefully to drill the crazy-talk out of his head.

oOo

Kunsel turned back to Yuffie. "So, he doesn't know about you, does he." It was more of a statement than a question.

The female SOLDIER shook her head. "Nah. He's a sweet kid, and I'm sure I could trust him, but I don't want that secret on his mind, you know?"

Kunsel did understand. And a part of him was really happy that he was still the only one that she shared the secret with, even if they hadn't started off on the right foot. Though, poor kid. Cloud probably had all the wrong ideas now, if Kunsel was any judge.

* * *

Kunsel had always assumed that a few things would be true about the first time he ever asked a girl out on a date. First, that the girl would know it was a date. Second, that the girl would not be dressed as a SOLDIER. Third, that the girl would not be followed by Turks. So far, Kunsel had struck out on all three assumptions. Luckily for him, this played into his hands, and he had a back-up strategy.

Before he initiated plan B, however, he took in the surroundings. Yuri was standing about fifteen feet away from him, on the corner of Loveless Avenue and 5th street, watching the crowd, helmet propped under her arm. Watching her from across the plaza was a particularly annoying Turk by the name of Reno. He would have been hard to spot in the crowd had it not been for the stock of bright red hair sticking up all over the place. And from the look on Yuri's face, she had seen Reno as well. She did not look happy.

He approached with a smile peaking out from under his helmet. "Friend of yours?" he asked, pointing his thumb behind him, but shielded by his shoulder so that the Turk couldn't see it.

Yuri scowled and crossed her arms. "The Turkey? Not necessarily, but I know him," she answered. It sounded obvious to Kunsel that there was a lot more to the story than she was telling, but he wasn't going to pull it out of her right then and there.

He crossed his arms, matching her pose. "How long has he been trailing you?"

She shrugged and rolled her shoulders. "Oh, just since leaving the Shinra building. I even took an _extra special_ route," she added, emphasizing.

"So he isn't just here by coincidence." Kunsel rubbed his chin, thinking.

"Yeah, he's obviously on the job, right now," Yuri frowned.

Kunsel tapped his helmet. "I have an idea," he pointed to her helmet. "Hood on and follow me," He smirked.

She raised an eyebrow, and then covered it with her helmet. "So you think you can slip the Turkey?"

"I know I can," he said in a matter-of-fact tone as he watched the small group of Third Class Soldiers walking their way. Thankfully, Loveless Avenue was a popular spot for going out on the town, and ladies loved a man in uniform. He began to formulate his plan. "Okay, three blocks south, one block east, meet me on the rooftop when we get split up," he said to Yuri, who nodded.

"Hey guys! Where you off to?" he greeted the oncoming quartet. They all seemed to be slightly startled when he talked to them, and a couple of them seemed nervous. Since he was technically a superior officer, then it stood to reason that they were probably under-aged fresh recruits out for a night of illegal drinking. It was common amidst the ranks of both SOLDIER and the infantry, though infantry didn't always get away with it. No one ever carded a SOLDIER, though.

The de facto leader of the group spoke up. "Uh... just out to see the town, sir," he added, almost convincingly, with a crooked smile.

Kunsel chuckled. They were fresh alright. And one was about the same size as Yuri. "Sure, sure. Me and Yuri here are out looking to 'see the town' too. Headed to the bar on Fourth?" A few of them nodded.

"You wanna join us?" one of the friendlier ones invited. They joined right in with the crowd. Out of the corner of his visor, Kunsel could see Reno on the move.

"Yuri, huh? I heard from Berrick that you could drink a behemoth under the table and not get drunk," one of the Thirds said in a mixture of awe and challenge. Kunsel took note and filed that interesting tidbit away.

Yuri smirked. "Care to test it out?" That got a chorus of cheers from her fellow Thirds.

It wasn't much farther and they were at the bar. Yuri was doing a good job of playing along. She apparently knew a couple of the guys, though that didn't surprise him. All the Thirds lived on the same floor. A couple of them had asked how Niels was doing and complained that he wouldn't go drinking with them anymore. Yuri had guffawed at that statement.

It wasn't hard to direct the crowd of Thirds to exactly where he wanted them to be. It took a whole five minutes of them being in the bar before Reno to slip into the door. He smiled and initiated step two, tapping on the arm of the SOLDIER who had been similar to Yuri in height, who was currently nursing a pretty tall glass of something stout. "Hey man, I got a favor to ask," he whispered to the boy.

The boy nodded. "Sure thing."

Kunsel pointed to the back door of the establishment. "Excuse us for a minute guys," he smiled and led the unsuspecting SOLDIER outside.

Once there, he pulled out 50 gil. "Okay, here's the deal," he said handing it to the Third. "I really want to see Yuri lose this bet we've got going, but I don't think anything here will be strong enough. Head over to Second and peek into Merle's Joint. Get the _Malboro Bender._ Should come in a jug. Strongest stuff on Gaia."

The third nodded with a wide grin. "You got it, man, but why don't we just head over there?"

Kunsel shook his head. "Place is tiny. We wouldn't all fit. You'll see when you get there," he fibbed. "Oh, and watch out. I think I saw a Turk lurking nearby. Don't wanna get busted."

The kid gave a half serious salute and rushed off through the back way alley. Kunsel peeked around the corner and spotted the tell-tell red tuft of hair following down the main street, taking the bait. With that out of the way, he checked his watch, then went on to the rendezvous point.

Five minutes after Kunsel arrived, Yuri joined him, silent as a ghost. She removed her helmet and took a deep breath. "Gawd, I don't know how you can breath in that thing all the time," she complained.

He gave a small wave. "Any sign of the Turk?"

She shook her head. "Nah. He vanished almost as soon as you and Royce slipped out the door." She looked around. "So, why are we here? I thought we were going to see a play or something."

One down, two to go.

Grinning, he pointed to the fire escape. "We are, but I have a plan for avoiding Turks, odd looks, and uncomfortable questions. Right this way," he led on, catching the confused look on Yuri's face.

The first landing that the fire escape stopped at was in front of a large picture window, covered on the inside with garish magenta and sequin curtains. Kunsel knocked on the pane and gave Yuri a half smile. "This is a friend of mine. He's a little... shall we say... odd. I think you'll like him."

Yuri didn't have time to answer, though Kunsel was sure she had some snarky remark to follow, as a middle aged man opened the window. He was dressed in a long mauve floral silk bathrobe and was halfway through either putting on or taking off his fake eyelashes. It was hard to tell. Either way, he looked left, then right, and spotted the two SOLDIERs.

"Kunsel! Long time, no see, cutie!" The man took and look at Yuri. "Oh, and you brought a friend. Excellent, excellent! Come on in!" He stepped out of the way and vanished inside.

"Who is this fruitcake?" Yuri whispered skeptically as she followed Kunsel inside.

Kunsel gestured from the man to Yuri. "Emmett, this is Yuri. Emmett is part of my network, you could say. He's excellent at disguise."

Emmett waved a hand and spoke to Yuri. "Listen to him. Best drag act in Sector Eight, four years running. Nice to meet you, honey," he said with a pleasant smile.

Yuri gave an uncertain smile back and then cast a wary glance towards Kunsel, who simple smiled, then looked to Emmett.

"Emm, I need a favor." He stepped closer, leaning in towards the artist. "You see, my friend and I need to blend in for a while, and Yuri thought that since we were going to be undercover, he'd like to be 'pretty' for a while. If you get my drift."

Emmett's eyebrows rose dramatically as his smile widened. "Is that so?" He looked at Yuri approvingly, rubbing his chin. "He's young enough to still have that baby face. It works for him. Wutaian? Excellent bone structure. Yes, yes I believe I can work with this." He winked at Yuri. "Don't worry, young man. I completely understand the draw to beauty! You shall be the most beautiful one in the room once I'm finished with you!"

Kunsel wished for a camera. The look of shock, worry, and vague ignominy on her face was priceless. "Uh... thanks?" she said, turning that look on Kunsel. The look said that he had some explaining to do.

Emmett vanished into what appeared to be an overstuffed walk-in closet. Kunsel turned to Yuri. "It'll be fine. Emm is the soul of discretion, I can promise that," he consoled with a grin.

Yuri huffed. "This is a lot of trouble just to go see a play."

"It'll be worth it," Kunsel replied. _At least for me, it will_ , he thought.

"It better." She grinned, rather unpleasantly. "I know where you sleep."

And at that thought, he shuddered. God forbid that a snarky, shameless, ruthless, sixteen year-old, mako enhanced female should find her way anywhere near his room. Again. Without invitation.

Emmett emerged from the closet with several outfits on hangers. "All right, honey, come pick the one you want," he said, most likely to Yuri. She didn't seem to be moving, so Kunsel gave her a little bump with his shoulder. She scowled at him, but took the hint.

"This one," she said after a moment of deliberation. It was a green sequined cocktail dress. On the hanger, it looked rather small... "I'm going to go try it on. Where's the bathroom?" She asked Emmett.

"Right around the corner, hun. You let me know if you need help getting anything stuffed."

She murmured something that sounded suspiciously like "stuff this" this to Kunsel's ears, but Emmett appeared to not hear. Instead, the older cross-dresser turned to Kunsel. "So, what about you?"

"You now me, Emmett. I like the classic look," he smiled. "I'll just help myself, if you don't mind."

Emmett waved him off. "Help yourself, Kunnie."

It didn't take long for Kunsel to pick himself out an outfit - of the male variety, that is. In that time, Yuri found her way out of the bathroom. Kunsel looked up and momentarily forgot how to breath. The dress was indeed short. The longest part of the dress fell to mid thigh, but then it angled up from there, stopping at the top of her thigh, revealing a great deal of her athletic legs. Her arms were bare, though the top of the dress covered her collar bone, leaving a diamond shaped cut out just above her chest. Green silk ribbon finished around the collar, ending in a classic bow.

"Excellent choice! The color really brings out your eyes," Emmett gushed. "And I have the perfect heels. They'll really show off your legs. And makeup! We need make up, maybe extentions... or where is that wig?" he trailed off, going in search of the tools of his trade.

While that happened, Kunsel managed to compose himself, and was extremely thankful that he hadn't yet taken off his helmet. She wasn't showing cleavage or anything, but what she was showing...

"Well, Yuri, you clean up nicely," he teased.

Two down. One to go.

She put her hands behind her head and leaned back against the wall. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," she said.

"Yuri! That isn't very ladylike!" Emmett admonished, setting down his supplies.

She stood up straight and lowered her arms. "Jeez, its the High Priestess all over again," she muttered to herself, then looked at Kunsel. "Shouldn't you be getting dressed? I'm not going to be the only one 'in disguise'."

He nodded and took her place in the bathroom. The outfit that he had picked out was a regular suit, black, with a white shirt. He left the jacket off, opting to wear just the vest over the shirt. He left the top few buttons of the shirt open and slightly rolled up the sleeves to give the outfit a more laid back look. He finished off with a pair of sunglasses, to hide the mako glow. After spending a little bit of effort correcting his helmet hair, he was good to go.

Yuri was nowhere to be seen, and Emmett looked more than pleased. Kunsel lifted a questioning eyebrow and was about to ask, when Emmett said, "And let me introduce: Yasmine!" he said with a flair as he gestured to the closet. Yuri stepped out, completely dressed up from head to high-heeled toe. Her makeup was expertly done, and the hair that Emmett had added was swept into a side ponytail and curled, hanging delicately across her shoulder.

She huffed. "Emmett insisted that I needed a stage name," she explained and complained in the same sentence.

Emmett frowned. "Honey, you still sound like a boy. Try to talk a little more gently."

Kunsel couldn't hold back the laugh, even if Yuri was staring daggers at him. Lovely daggers. He held out his arm. "Well, 'Yasmine', ready to go?"

Yuri stuck her nose up and walked on past, surprisingly graceful in the four inch heels. She completely ignored his arm and went straight for the front door. "There had better be one damn good surprise at the end of this play," she said.

He grinned and followed. "You have no idea," he replied. "Thanks again, Emmett!" He waved.

"You kids have fun!" the older man replied as the door closed.

"So, did you take into account spending all of this time extra time when you told me what time to meet you?" Yuri asked as they walked towards the elevator.

"Actually, yes," Kunsel replied honestly. "I thought something like this might have to happen to get you away from the Turks for a while."

She frowned. "So you've noticed, huh?" she said, slightly miss-stepping. She grasped at Kunsel's arm to catch herself. He chuckled.

"You should have just taken my arm," he admonished, then continued. "And yes. Ever since you got back, there's been an almost constant surveillance on you."

"I've noticed them on the couple of missions that I've taken since then, too. Hard to miss, you know?"

He nodded. They reached the elevator and went to the ground floor in relative silence. The theatre was only a few blocks away, and not much of a walk for two battle hardened SOLDIERs, but a block down, Kunsel cleared his throat and glanced down at Yuri, who was still holding on to his arm while trying not to fall in the heels.

"You, ah, look lovely, by the way," he commented.

"Damn right I do," she said confidently, then mumbled. " _Speak more gently_ , my ass. Can you believe that after all of that, he still thought I was a boy?"

The observative Second's lips twitched as he fought not to smile. "With that mouth? Nah," he replied sarcastically.

A few more moments of silence and then... "Well, thank you."

Slightly surprised by the soft-spoken appreciation, he glanced at her. Was that a blush? "You're welcome."

They arrived in front of the theatre with minutes to spare. The line was enormous, with people waiting to get in. The entire side of the street was clogged with people, but Kunsel, with Yuri on his arm, headed straight for the attendant at the doors. He handed the tickets over to the attendant, who glanced at them and smiled. "Good evening, Mr. Harringer. If you'll follow me, I will show you to your seats."

"Thank you," Kunsel replied.

The attendant led them up a small flight of stairs and through a door. "Watch your step, and enjoy the show," he said with a slight bow before closing the door behind himself and leaving.

Kunsel watched Yuri take in her surroundings. They were in a private box, with only two velvet lined chairs. The box looked almost directly onto the stage with no obstructions. On a small side table sat a long gift wrapped box, topped by a single white rose.

"Uh, oh," his companion said. "I think they gave us the wrong seats."

Shaking his head, he sat in one of the chairs. "No, this is correct," he said.

Yuri didn't sit down right away. He couldn't read her expression in the dark, so he took off his sunglasses, folded, and hung them from his shirt. Iridescent purple mako eyes stared back at him as the lights dimmed in the theatre. Slowly she took her seat. She looked back at the gift and rose, the box, the stage, her dress...

"You had all this planned from the start, didn't you," she accused.

He smirked. "With a little improv thrown in, yes."

She was silent for a few more moments, then as the Master of Ceremonies began to introduce the play, she turned to him sharply. "Holy cow, this is an actual date!"

Three down. None to go.

"Perhaps," he noncommittally replied. "If you want, you can go ahead and open your surprise."

She smirked and grabbed the box, bringing it back to her seat. He held the rose for her while she lifted the lid and revealed the box's contents. Nestled inside white tissue paper was a single large object. Pulling it out gingerly, she laid it in her lap and ran her fingers lovingly over the eight materia slots, two of which had been linked and filled with a blue and green materia pair. This weapon was more intricate than any that she possessed, by far, and was amazingly well crafted.

"It is called the Spiral Shuriken," he supplied.

She hugged it to her chest and grinned at him. "I forgive you for everything."

And that was exactly how he had planned it.

* * *

 _ **Several hours later**_

First Class. He couldn't believe it. It was everything that he had hoped for, but now that he had it, now that he stood here in his new black uniform, it all seemed surreal. It was also not as fulfilling as he had thought it would be. In all, he just felt a kind of dull emptiness.

Zack opened his PHS and read the message that he had received not long ago. He frowned at the official Shinra bulletin, declaring both Genesis and Angeal killed in the line of action. What was the point of doing that? To save face? Sure it couldn't look good on the company for two of its highest ranking officers to just up and desert, but to declare them dead? There was something else going on here that Zack really didn't like. It almost made his promotion feel like a bribe for his silence.

As he closed out that message, a new one dinged his PHS, this time personal.

"Went to see LOVELESS:

Genesis, K. I. A. ? Yeah, right. Who do they think they're trying to fool?

Just got back from seeing the stage production of LOVELESS with a friend in Midgar. Genesis was a big fan, wasn't he? I usually don't care for classic drama, but it was pretty damned good. The guy is the hero in the original, but the play was more from the viewpoint of the girl who helps the guy. When I heard the last line: 'Of course… I'll come back to you. Even if you don't promise to wait. I'll return knowing that you'll be here.' Aw, man, that's when I lost it and just started bawling.

-Kunsel"

The newly minted First shook his head with slight smile. That was Kunsel, all right. He never could just say everything plainly, even if Zack didn't always get it. He'd just have to ask when he saw Kunsel next. Speaking of…

"Just for clarification:

Is this friend a girl?

-Zack"

A moment later…

"About your promotion:

Lets meet up and celebrate, and you can find out for yourself.

-Kunsel"

Zack didn't really feel like celebrating, but it would be nice to hang out with a friend for a while. He agreed, got the address from Kunsel, and set out to at least make a show of showing off his new uniform.

* * *

 _Footnote: Edits have been made. I'm pretty sure something is still messy in here, though. Send me a PM if you find it!_


	13. Hello, Again

_AN: Thanks for the follows and reviews! Each one is a new shot of happy endorphins straight to my brain. :) With that said, I should be getting more posts increasingly often thanks to the advent of Summer Break. (May 24th can't come fast enough!) Thanks for hanging in there!_

 _Disclaimer: I don't claim to own the characters, world, or original story of FF7. I simply muck about in it and make it more fun._

* * *

Yuffie laid the spiral shuriken carefully on the bed of white tissue paper, almost afraid to put so much as a smudge on its perfectly polished surface. The inlaid materia gleamed, and as she ran her fingers lovingly over their surfaces, they told her about themselves, making the proper introductions. The green materia was a _Protect_. It was young and not yet fully developed, but it shared its knowledge with her. It was natural, formed from the crystallization of ancient memories instead of being distilled in a Shinra processing plant, as was the _All_ materia it was linked to. They both made a very thoughtful gift, and one that Yuffie knew was not cheap. _All_ was common enough, but any natural materia was worth a pretty gil, especially as they matured.

Even as the play still wound down in front of her, she wasn't sure she wanted the gesture. Kunsel had been true to his word about keeping her secret and helping her if she needed it, at least this far, but what about later? She was sure that there was going to be a mission sooner or later that would test the budding partnership and test each of their loyalties; hers to her homeland of Wutai, and his to SOLDIER and Shinra. She didn't believe in the least that this date had romantic intentions. Kunsel was clearly the sly type, probably playing the element of surprise to... do what? Get information? Earn her trust? Trick her into falling for him? She frowned. Neither of those seemed likely since there wouldn't really be a point in it. She already had to trust him with the biggest secret she had, whether she liked it or not.

And if he was being sincere, it would also be a waste. She had a role to play and dating wasn't a part of it. Even when this was all over, she'd return and help with the rebuilding of Wutai, perhaps serving in the Crescent Unit, or working alongside her father as one of the new Primarch's hidden daggers.

She shook her head, closed the box and focused back in on the play. It actually hadn't been too bad. Lots of action, and plenty of drama. It was a story of war, and friends on the field. One had deserted, another had been captured and then wounded during his escape, and the third had gone off to be the hero. Strangely enough, the play had centered more around the captured soldier and the enemy woman who had nursed him to health.

 _"Do you really have to leave?"_ the actress on the stage, playing the part of a woman from the enemy faction, pleaded while clinging hopefully to a bouquet of wild flowers.

The lead actor, playing the part of the Prisoner who had been nursed to heath by the woman, turned away from her dramatically. "I _promised. The people I love, are waiting."_

This scene had been the culmination of the last act, where the woman had nursed the wounded prisoner to heath. Yuffie had thought that they were supposed to fall in love. Apparently, so did the actress. "...I _don't understand. Not at all."_ She shook her head, looking away. There was a dramatic pause. The Prisoner took a step, not facing her, triggering the woman to snap her gaze to his retreating back. Her last words to him were sad, but hopeful. " _But... please take care of yourself."_

The Prisoner took a few more steps towards stage left, and then paused and turned, rushing back to the woman and sweeping her into his arms. "Of _course..."_ He assured her. " _I'll come back to you. Even if you don't promise to wait. I'll return knowing you'll be here."_

The curtain closed with the two actors sharing a last embrace.

Yuffie would never admit, but she related to that prisoner. Her country, her beloved Wutai, needed her, but she was developing dangerous attachments. She glanced at Kunsel, who turned from the last scene and smiled gently. The smile reached all the way to his bright cerulean eyes, and for the first time, she felt something move in her chest. Something infinitely dangerous to her mission, and to herself.

The play ended. The actors gave their final bow and received a standing ovation in return. The two undercover SOLDIERs lingered in the box while the crowd made their exit. Kunsel turned to Yuri. "So, that wasn't so bad, was it?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

The kunoichi shrugged. "It could have been worse," she said noncommittally, hugging the box holding her new prize close to her chest. She met his eyes, and the second class raised an eyebrow, showing her that he wasn't buying. She pursed her lips in a pout. "Okay, fine. I liked it. Ending could have been better, though." The pout was endearing. It was such a feminine thing to do, and Yuri didn't often do feminine things.

"How would you have ended the play?" he asked, truly interested in her answer.

She cocked her head to the side as she thought about her answer. "With a happy ending."

The answer shocked Kunsel. She didn't seem the type to prefer the fairy tale ending. "So you would have had the Prisoner stay with the healer?"

"I just don't see why they couldn't have left together. He had to return to help his friends and country. His honor depended on it, and he had an obligation to them," she started. "I think that if she really cared about him, she would have joined him."

Kunsel shook his head. "But she couldn't just up and leave. She had her own responsibilities, and people that she cared for that needed her."

The pout returned. "So, its a stalemate. No way to have a happy ending."

"Well, the Prisoner could have stayed with the woman and left it to the Hero to end the war."

She huffed. That idea didn't appeal to her at all, either. Every player in the act was important to the conclusion of the play's war. It was just like in Wutai. The Primarch needed her father's network of ninja and crooks just as much as she needed the army and the Crescent Unit. She needed High Priestess Izayoi to uphold the faith and tend the children of Leviathan. She needed Yuffie to do her part as well, just as much of the Prisoner's country needed him. The prisoner didn't have a big role, but it was important. Without the Prisoner and the Wanderer, the Hero would not have become the Hero. In the end, she decided that she was thinking way too hard about it. "Whatever. Its just a play, anyway." She dropped the topic and started a new one. "I'm starving. Got any plan for dinner?"

Kunsel grinned. "Actually..." and the alert tones on both his and Yuri's PHS's interrupted him. "Hold that thought."

They each checked the message, both developing matching expressions of displeasure. "K.I.A?"

"I guess that leaves only one active First Class in all of SOLDIER," Yuri said neutrally.

"I don't buy it," he confided, scanning the bulletins. "And bump the First Class number to two. Looks like one of my pals just got promoted." He then looked up at Yuri apologetically. "I know its bad manners to text someone else on a first date, but..."

She waved it off. "Do what you gotta do."

He smiled and nodded apologetically and typed the message to Zack. If he knew his friend like he thought he did, Zack would know the real deal behind Genesis. In fact, it probably played in with the reason behind his promotion to the illustrious rank of First.

After a few rapid fire texts and searches, he looked up at Yuri. "Wings sound good?"

Yuffie was momentarily thrown off, but quickly recovered the topic: dinner. The female SOLDIER motioned to herself, plucking at her hem. "In this dress?"

He shook his head. "Actually, I was thinking we could expand this outing from 'date' into 'group'. Besides, I think my First Class friend would like to meet you."

She gave the idea some consideration. It was highly unlikely that he was talking about the Demon of Wutai, Sephiroth, and getting buddy-buddy with a First Class definitely wouldn't hurt her chances of ranking up, especially if she made a good first impression. In the end, she replied with enthusiasm. "As long as I get to change back into my uniform and out of these Leviathan-cursed heels, sounds good to me!"

From there, they made their way back to Emmett's, changed, and were back on the streets within a half an hour, with no Turks none the wiser.

* * *

Kunsel didn't know it yet, but his time to die had come. Yuffie vowed right then and there, sitting at that little corner booth in the back of a greasy little hole-in-the-wall wing bar, that the sneaky, double-crossing, back-stabbing, manipulative Second Class son of an inbred chocobo was going to die, and the last thing he was going to see was the error of his ways. And then, the faith-less First Class Shinra dog in front of her was bound to follow. In short, under her helmet, she was seething.

Zack Fair. Soldier First Class. The same one who had handed her defeat on the steps of Fort Tamblin's inner temple. She couldn't help but touch the sickle at her hip. It was a shame that her new shuriken had to stay at Emmett's until it could be forwarded to her room. The Ninja-turned-SOLDIER was itching for a rematch.

As Zack slid in the booth across from her and Kunsel, the middle-ranked SOLDIER introduced them. "Zack, this is my friend, Yuri Kisaragi. Watch out for him, he's got a mean arm with the sickle. Yuri," he said switching hands, "this is Zack Fair. Watch out for him, he's hyper."

Zack ignored that last stab and smiled brightly at Yuri. "Oh, yeah! I know you!" Yuffie stiffened. "You are that Wutaian SOLDIER. I watched your entrance exams with Sephiroth." He whistled. "Man, that was some impressive work. Kunsel isn't kidding about that arm."

The Third took a moment to process that. " _Seph-,"_ she started off, squeaking a bit before clearing her throat, "Sephiroth? _The_ Sephiroth? Watched my SOLDIER exams?" Yuffie was dumbfounded. And even more dumbfounded that the Demon of Wutai had endorsed her entrance into the program.

Zack nodded. "Yep, sure did." He crossed his arms, and leaned forward on the table. "Your not a fan boy are you?"

"As if!" Yuffie huffed. "Me? A fan of the Demon of Wutai? No thanks." Kunsel cleared his throat, and she took that as a sign to reel it in. "I mean, we may be on the same side and all now, but he still isn't my favorite."

Zack pointed at his own nose. "What about me? Am I your favorite?" He asked excitedly. "I've always wanted my own fan club," he finished wistfully.

"Yeah, but what would they call it?" Kunsel asked.

"Puppy Power," Yuffie said, without hesitation. She could just imagine his tail wagging. How did this guy ever make First Class?

Kunsel bursted out laughing. "Kisaragi, one; Fair, zero," he said once he was able to catch his breath.

Zack looked like a dim light bulb has just turned on. "Kisaragi..." he contemplated, then turned back to the Wutaian SOLDIER. "Wait… don't… don't I know you from somewhere else?" Zack asked, leaning in closer to get a look at the face under the helmet.

Yuffie leaned back, trying to get away from the puppy's inquisitive gaze without actually retreating, crossing her arms. "Yeah, right," she said nervously.

He thought for a moment longer, then snapped his fingers and leaned back, smiling widely. "Oh yeah, that's right! Fort Tamblin!" The female SOLDIER stiffened, though the puppy didn't seem to notice. "Say, Yuri, you got an older sister named Yuffie? Calls herself the ' _White Rose of Wutai_ '?"

Hidden under her helmet, Yuffie cut her eyes to Kunsel, who she noticed was barely hiding a laugh behind his hand. Zack had to die. And then Kunsel. Both preferably in horribly embarrassing ways.

"No, I don't have any sisters," she replied flatly, and truthfully.

Zack frowned. "Bummer. But I guess Kisaragi might be a common name, yeah?"

"Perhaps," she noncommittally answered.

Kunsel leaned forward, a grin on his face. "So, you never told me about this 'Yuffie'. Meet someone in Wutai, did you?"

Zack looked up at the ceiling and rubbed his neck. "Well, you could say that. It was during the fall of Fort Tamblin." He looked at Kunsel and leaned his elbows on the table. "She had a way with a shuriken... You know Cissnei?" he digressed with a question.

Kunsel nodded. "Yeah, cute little brunette? Curly hair?" Yuffie simply shrugged. She didn't know many of the other Turks, save for Reno, Rude, and Freya.

"That's the one," the First confirmed. "Well, this girl was even cuter. Black hair, ivory skin, and brown eyes that had these little flecks of purple..."

Yuffie raised an eyebrow. When had he gotten the time to notice _that_?

"... and legs."

Kunsel chuckled. "Zack, I'm not sure you are aware, but most girls have legs."

Zack waved him off. "No, no, I mean _legs,"_ he emphasized, a wistful look on his face. Yuffie tried hard not to grin, at least without looking creepy. It was nice being complemented as the superior specimen that she was... even if it wasn't to her face.

"So, did you get her number?" the inquisitive Second asked nonchalantly.

The First shook his head sadly. "Nah. Had to finish the mission, and by the time it was over, she was gone. It would have been nice to at least have been pen pals or something."

Not likely, Yuffie thought. The idea of being pen pals with him made her skin crawl. However, an idea was forming... one that she'd have to talk to Cloud about later. She shelved it for the time being.

"Oh, well," She said sympathetically, and then delivered a word of advise. "You are probably better off anyway. Wutaian females are crazy insane. Best you steer clear."

Zack just shook his head. "I dunno man. I think that me and this one could have really hit it off. Once we were done hitting each other, that is. She was spunky."

Kunsel chuckled and lifted his glass. "Well, better luck next time, my friend. To promotions and eventually finding a girl who likes you."

"Cheers," the newly minted First responded.

For a couple of hours after, they ate, talked about almost everything from the prospects of chocobo racing to who was crushing on who, and generally avoided the topic of any of the other First Class SOLDIERs. Yuffie was surprised after a half an hour to find herself actually enjoying it. She never took her helmet off, following Kunsel's lead since Zack would definitely notice her then. The thrill that one simple thing stood between her and being found out was exhilarating. She felt like she was winning a game just by maintaining the persona of 'Yuri'. It improved her mood, and perhaps Kunsel didn't _have_ to die, after all.

* * *

It was about 10 pm when all three of their company PHS's went off at the same time. "Midgar is under attack. Time to kick some butt!" Zack said. The other two SOLDIERs nodded wordlessly and grabbed their weapons as they ran out the door into the streets of sector eight.

Yuffie turned right as soon as her feet hit the concrete, running towards the sounds of chaos, Kunsel and Zack not far on her heels. "What the hell?" she asked. It appeared to her that Second Class SOLDIERs, or at least people dressed like them, where chasing and attacking civilians.

"Don't be fooled!" Zack ordered, sword drawn. "Protect as many people as you can!" He and Kunsel both charged into the fray.

Yuffie didn't have to be told twice. She launched her modified sickle at one of the impostors, nailing him clean in the back before turning. When he didn't go down immediately, she cursed and drew her Hard Edge as he turned his attention from the woman he had been after to her. "Well, now that I have your attention, lets dance!" Yuffie taunted.

He charged her, sword drawn, and she parried. The force of the impact actually pushed her back several inches. She frowned. It appeared that these guys weren't simply dressed like Second Class. If these guys were actually Seconds, she might have a little bit of a hard time. "Well, nothing I can't handle!" she said out loud, more for her own benefit as she flipped backwards and threw a hasty fire ball at the attacking SOLDIER impostor. If she couldn't use strength, she'd just have to use her other skills, namely her speed. She charged, sliding under and just past the downward swinging blade of her opponent, slicing out at the back of his legs. The sword slid through the unprotected material of his pants and legs, hamstringing him. With a bellow, he toppled over. For good measure, she pelted him with another fireball, and he stopped moving.

"You alright, Yuri?" Zack asked, cutting down another enemy. "These guys aren't too much for ya, are they?"

She scoffed, and threw her sickle again, nailing an enemy who had been coming up behind him in the head. "You kidding? I haven't had this much fun in ages."

"Cocky, I see," the First teased, dodging a blizzard blast.

Yuffie parried a slash from her left. "They don't call me the... oof..." she parried again, then struck. "... the Azure Dragon of SOLDIER..." she dodged and slipped behind her enemy, plunging her sword into its back "... for nothing."

A grunt from behind her made her turn in time to see another enemy go down, Kunsel finishing him off before he could reach the Third Class. "Yuri," he commented, slightly exasperated, "No one calls you that but yourself."

Zack finished off the last enemy, then bent down, taking off its helmet. "Knew it," he said.

Kunsel stepped up beside him, looking down at the fallen enemy's revealed face. "Is that...?"

The First nodded. "Genesis Rhapsodos. Or a clone of him, at least."

"Clones?" Yuffie voiced, pulling off the helmet of the enemy nearest her to validate the claim. Sure enough, this one had the exact same face. "Grossness," she said with feeling.

Zack nodded in agreement, then stood up and dusted off his hands. "Whelp, this area is secure now. Lets spread out and make sure everyone is safe."

"We'll take the high road, you take the low road?" Kunsel suggested.

"Sounds good to me," the First replied, then bounded off.

Yuffie didn't wait for Kunsel to say anything else before making her way to the rooftops. She'd be able to move so much easier and see so much more from the bird's eye view, and that had probably been his intention in the first place. "I'll head center, you head rim," she said to him, already moving to take off in the direction she had indicated.

"Yuffie," the Second grabbed her hand. She paused, startled not just because of his action, but because of the use of her given name. He said it softly, and she wasn't sure she liked it. She looked at him questioningly. Never had she hated helmets more than she did right then. He was practically unreadable. She saw the muscle in his jaw clench, then he simply said. "Be careful."

She nodded and gave a sloppy half salute with her free hand. "Always. It's my middle name," she replied, pulling her hand away. Drawing her sickle, she took off across the rooftops.

Kunsel watched her go for a few seconds before leaving to search in his own direction. "Liar," he said under his breath. He never did get to talk to Zack about Genesis or Angeal, but at least now he knew the enigmatic Yuri's real name.


	14. Monster

_AN: This chapter started to get WAY to long! There is so much going on in this section of both Crisis Core and Before Crisis, that I had a hard time picking and chosing! More fun for me. :) Second Part shouldn't take too long, but those of you who know the story know who Zack is soon to meet. (And for those of you who asked: He hasn't met her yet.) I've been stretching my brain on how to tell the story with a little Yuri/Yuffie thrown in. I'm a pretty staunch Zerith shipper, though, so I've got to do it justice._

 _Thanks for the read and reviews! Ya'll make me 3 my hobby even more!_

 _Disclaimer: If FF7 was mine, there would have been a whole "Dress Ms. Cloud" mini game in which you could have him try on Scarlet's Dress, maybe Celes's or Terra's outfits from 6, and mix and match wigs and accessories. Since there wasn't, I don't own FF7. It's probably for the best..._

* * *

 **[ ν ] - εγλ 0001 - April 2nd - Midnight**

Thankfully, the street was clear of civilians, due to both the lateness of the hour and the infamous second-sense of danger that Midgar's people had developed over years of living near Mako reactors. It wasn't often that the defense robots went haywire, but it happened and tonight was one of those nights. Zack cursed his luck that Shinra tech would go haywire on the same night that Genesis decided to launch an attack on Midgar. He didn't like it: too coincidental.

He made his way through the winding streets of the Sector 8 Plate and rounded a corner, nearing the entrance to Shinra headquarters, then cursed. In a corner of two buildings was a woman surrounded by Genesis Clones.

"Hold on! I'm a'comin!" He shouted out to her and charged.

From his right, his path was suddenly stopped by a mag rod falling in front of him. "Sector 8 is Turk's jurisdiction, slick." Reno informed him in a snarky tone, tapping his mag rod on his shoulder. The red-headed Turk was starting to get very annoyed. Not only had he lost his mark earlier - again - but now he'd had to deal with robots and Genesis look-a-likes all night. Not to mention, someone had broken into the Shinra records room and gotten away. At least temporarily. Last thing he was going to do was let some SOLDIER cut in on the fun.

Rude joined him, stoically blocking Zack's path, accompanied by Tseng.

It was now Zack's turn to not be amused. Didn't they see that woman needed help? "You've got to be kidding me!" He turned to the head Turk. "Tseng! Do something!"

"There's no need for concern." A simple one-liner from Rude.

"Huh?" Zack exclaimed, partially in shock that the Turkish Wall spoke. In turning to see that the woman had in fact been Cissnei and that she had already dismantled the small pack of clones, he added a bemused, "Oookaay." Cissnei tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, smiled in Zack's direction and rested her four-point shuriken on her shoulder.

"The other areas?" Tseng inquired of the Turks.

Reno waved his hand demonstrably. "Midgar's just crawlin' with nasties."

"SOLDIER is having difficulties," Rude added.

Tseng nodded and looked at his three Turks. "Reno, Rude," he addressed.

"Just say the word," Reno said, slightly annoyed and ready to get a move on. They'd followed the trail of the intruder this far, and as fun as it was to play with the Puppy, the red-head wasn't in the mood.

"Go." The senior Turk ordered. The duo chuckled as they took off into the other areas of Shinra, headed to the inner-plate access.

Zack put his hands behind his head. "So now where outsourcing to the Turks?" he puzzled. He knew that the ranks were thinning out, but he didn't know it had gotten this bad.

"SOLDIER's being stingy," Cissnei commented with a hint of amusement in her voice.

"There's a manpower shortage," he stated matter-of-factly. "How ya been, Cissnei?"

She crossed her arms and shrugged. "Busy."

"Zack, aren't you on assignment?" Tseng chastised. Cissnei snickered.

"Same Objective," the First Class smirked. "Need some help here?"

"I appreciate the offer, but..."

"Oh, how generous!" Cissnei answered, cutting off Tseng. "Well, Tseng, Zack, I gotta go!" she said with a wink to the later, and then ran off to other parts of the sector.

Zack watched her go, then turned to the senior Turk. "Well, Tseng, its been good seein' ya. Later!" He took off as well, leaving in the same direction as the female Turk.

Tseng simply shook his head, checked his ammo, and followed his own path.

* * *

As Zack redoubled his patrol of the Sector, he heard a gunshot, not far off. It had come from the direction of the Goblin Bar, the same place that he, Kunsel, and Yuri had been hanging out while the evening had still been young. Now the plaza was deserted, but for that sound. He took off running in it's direction. Gunshots rang out continuously, in a slow, steady, staccato. Cissnei dodged each shot, jumping backwards. Zack arrived just in time to see one actually connect, striking the shuriken that she wielded. The sound of the bullet on the weapon rang like a bell and knocked the weapon from her hand, sending careening until it embedded itself into the sidewalk across the plaza. The female Turk clutched her arm, wrenched by the impact. She was tiring, and Zack could see it.

He wasn't the only one. From the rooftop, Yuri had heard the commotion echoing through the streets, and had ran to investigate. The Third had arrived slightly faster that Zack. He dropped from the roof, sliding down a light pole. Before the attacker could land another hit, Yuri scooped Cissnei up and moved the injured Turk to the sidelines, closer to her fallen weapon. At the same time, Zack rushed in, blocking the bullet with the broadside of his blade.

The attacker was Genesis. Or at least a copy so perfectly alike that it was impossible to tell the difference. It was identical to the crimson commander, all the way down to the clothes he wore and the earring in his ear. The only difference that made Zack question the authenticity of this Genesis was his choice of weapons. A long barreled pistol and rod were a far cry off from his prized Rapier.

"Don't hog all the fun," Yuri smirked under his helmet, threatening the enemy with a motion of his modified sickle.

Zack shook his head. "You might want to sit this one out," he suggested.

"Fat chance!" the Third replied as the Genesis look-a-like charged.

Zack defended against the attack, blocking a blow from the rod with his sword. The clone dodged the thrown sickle, sending a ring of shots in Yuri's direction, who avoided each shot acrobatically, and caught the returning weapon. Using the opportunity, Zack pressed an attack on the clone, forcing it back a few steps before being surprised with a combo attack. The First Class managed to dodge the bullet, but was caught in the ribs with the rod.

Yuri sent a fireball at the clone and cursed as he shrugged it off. "What the hell, man?" he cursed to no one in particular, then tried again with an ice spell. The effect was minimal.

The silence of the attacker proved to Zack that this was, indeed, a clone. The real Genesis would never have been this silent. "Resistant to magic, apparently," He replied to his fellow SOLDIER while completely avoiding another combo. It was a close call. He could almost hear the bullet wiz past his ear that time.

"Then time for some Pain-a-la-Yuri!" The Third class charged with a jump, driving the sickle down towards the clone's head from behind. It spun just in time to deflect the weapon, crossing the gun and rod to catch the blade. He threw Yuri back, and the SOLDIER Third landed with a roll across the plaza. Zack didn't have time to call out to make sure the Third was okay, though, as the Clone quickly turned its attention back to him. He struck out with his rod, connecting multiple times, before firing two shots from the gun, sending Zack sprawling as well.

Before the clone had time to take advantage of his prone position, Yuri distracted it again, attacking from range while avoiding the bullets from the gun. "Zack!" he called out, "I got your back!"

The First took the moment bought to regain his feet. He could just hear Sephiroth now, chastising him with a " _Concentrate_!" In a moment of inspiration, he struck out with a flurry of blows, connecting eight solid times with heavy blows against the clone. The clone fell, and for a moment at least, stayed still. A split second later, a warmth flowed over him as he was surrounded by a blue bubble. Instantly, he felt much better. He cast a glance at Yuri, who was holding his sickle in front of his face, eyes focused, also surrounded by the same bubble and fit as a fiddle.

The clone rose once again, only this time, it shuddered, producing a singular, large black wing. Zack took a step back in surprise as it started to lift itself up in flight.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Yuri's sickle sliced through the wing while Zack's blade brought down the monster for the final time. This time, it didn't move, as black feathers fell all around them.

Zack and Yuri both looked down at the fallen clone, each with a dark thought clear on their face.

"What _is_ this?" Yuri asked with a mix of curiosity and horror.

"Degradation," the First replied, uncharacteristically solemn.

Cissnei stepped forward, also much better for Yuri's limit break. She leaned down and picked up one of the black feathers. "When I was a kid, I dreamed of having wings. You know, like an angel."

"If people had wings, they'd be monsters," Zack replied darkly, back turned.

"Wings symbolize freedom for those who have none," Cissnei replied, with a stern shake of her head. "They _don't_ symbolize monsters."

"Freedom..." Zack heard the Third Class say softly, almost under his breath. Zack cast a glance at his fellow SOLDIER. Home lost, honor jeopardized... he guessed that it wasn't just First Class SOLDIERs who had to deal with some heavy stuff.

Zack let out a small half laugh, half sigh, though his expression softened as he turned back to face the Turk. Before he could comment, his PHS rang. He didn't even have to say hello before Sephiroth was already relaying orders.

" _Once Sector 8 is clear, head to Mako Reactor 5_."

"Did you find something out?" Zack asked, both hopeful and anxious. Genesis was already on the Shinra hit-list, and he had dragged Angeal with him. Zack knew that he wouldn't be able to take down his old mentor. Not because of ability, but just because it wasn't _right_.

" _Angeal has been sighted_ ," Sephiroth stated simply.

"Uh," Zack replied, unhappily. "So, it's search and destroy?"

" _The army is mobilizing, but there's still time_ ," the General answered evenly. " _You and I will find them before they do, and..._ "

"And WHAT?" Zack yelled into his phone. Both Yuri and Cissnei took a step back, sharing a brief look.

". _.. fail to eliminate them,_ " he finished.

"For real?" Zack replied, standing straight and hopeful. Yuri snickered.

So did Sephiroth, in his own way. " _Yes, for real_."

"Excellent! Probably!" the puppy replied, pumping a fist in the air.

The call went dead as Sephiroth hung up.

Yuri shook his head at the First. "Man, you are so hot then cold, you know that?" He chuckled. "So, what's up?"

Zack shook his head. "New orders. I need to get to the Sector 5 Reactor, pronto."

Cissnei nodded. "Then go. We have things handled here. Further SOLDIER aid is unneeded."

"You sure?" Yuri asked.

The Turk nodded with a smile. "Thanks for the help."

Yuri puffed out his chest and put his hands on his hips with a lopsided smile. "No problem!" He held out his hand. "Yuri Kisaragi, SOLDIER 3rd Class."

"Cissnei," she replied with a smile, and shook the third's hand. She then waved goodbye as she started to walk away. "See you around, Yuri, Zack."

Zack took off, and Yuri followed. "Woah, you coming with?"

Yuri nodded with a shrug. "Sure. This place is under control and I haven't received new orders yet." His tone was nonchalant, but there was something else under the tone. "Besides, I want to hear the full story. What is 'degradation'? What is going on?"

Zack looked at the Third. He wasn't too sure that it was a good idea to share all that he knew, but even that wasn't a whole lot. "I'm still trying to figure it all out, myself," he answered.

The Third kept pace with him. "Look, I don't need a full situation report, but can't I at least have the basics?"

Zack sighed. "Yeah, why not. I don't know much anyway."

As they ran to the Sector 5 Reactor, Zack told the short story of how Genesis, and then Angeal had disappeared, and then clones of Genesis, the 1st Class who had vanished from Wutai along with an accompaniment of seconds and thirds, started appearing; first in Wutai, and now in Midgar. Not everything was clear, but there was one thing that Zack was more than certain of; whatever was going on in Shinra these days, his mentor was in serious danger.

* * *

"So, let me get this straight," Yuffie clarified. "You only knew this Genesis guy in passing, but Angeal was your mentor. Genesis has gone cuckoo for clones, and now Angeal has run off to bring him back, or help him out, or something but you don't know which..."

Zack nodded. "Right so far..."

"And now clones are running all over Midgar, Genesis is waging war against Shinra, your mentor is at the Sector 5 Reactor, and _Sephiroth,_ " Yuffie shuddered, "has called you in to help him _not_ kill anyone."

Zack grinned, arriving at the reactor. "That about sums up the unofficial mission." He frowned and cast a quick glance at her. "Uh, you aren't gonna, you know, rat us out or anything are you?"

Yuffie scoffed. "Yeah, right," she replied sarcastically. She thought it over a moment, taking in the sights of the reactor around her. Rusted metal, graffiti, a slightly chemical smell in the air... "Here's the thing, Spike," she added, "I'm not one to rock the boat, but I sure as heck want to know where the boat is headed, you know?"

Zack nodded. "Yeah, I get that. There is one thing I don't get, though..." He stopped and faced Yuffie, a serious look on his face and hands on his hips. "Why am I 'Spike'?"

She smirked. "Everyone gets a nickname. You look like a hedgehog with that haircut." She pointed at her helmet to indicate his hair. "Spiky." She started counting on her fingers. "Lets see... so far I have 'Blondie', 'Ice-man', 'Red', 'Bubbles'..."

"Wait, who is 'Bubbles'?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. Big bald Turk. Can't ever remember his name."

Zack chuckled, and started leading deeper into the reactor again. "What do you call Kunsel?" Zack asked, sounding increasingly curious.

She smirked. "Kun-kun. It's a Wutaian pun," she explained. Otherwise he might mistake it for a term of endearment. Couldn't have that.

"Man, he must hate that," the First replied with a laugh in his voice. They came to a split in the passageway, one leading up and another leading straight and down, and they paused. "Well, Sephiroth is most likely ahead of here," he said, pointing down the straight path.

Yuffie frowned. She didn't really care for the idea of meeting Sephiroth face to face yet. She needed a bit more time before she could be in the presence of the Demon of Wutai without showing any hint of her disdain. Scratch that. LOATHING. She loathed the General. True, it was Shinra's orders that had him capture her country, but he was still the one who had done the subduing. He'd had help, though, a little voice in the back of her head chimed in. She'd seen Zack, even fought Zack, herself, back at Fort Tamblin. Still, Yuffie had a very hard time believing that the puppy in front of her was the same 'Shinra Scum' responsible for her country's fall. Why was it that she couldn't hold her hate for him, as much as she could for the General?

Zack had noticed the look on her face, or at least the part of her face that he could see. "Something wrong, Yuri?" he asked her.

She shook her head. There was no time to think about this now. There were bigger fish to fry and answers to be found. Information was worth more than gold. "I'm thinking that I want to take the second path. Scout ahead and stuff."

Zack nodded. "Yeah, that probably isn't a bad idea. There's no telling where Angeal is," he replied. "Hand me your PHS."

"Why?" she asked skeptically, but did it anyway.

He took out his PHS as well and punched some buttons on both. "Just sharing contact info. Here ya go!" He grinned, handing back her phone. "If you happen to find Angeal before me or Sephiroth, give me a call immediately."

She nodded, and put her PHS away. "You got it." She turned to follow the new path, but he grabbed her arm.

"Hey, Yuri, promise me something, man."

He looked too serious for Yuffie's liking. "What?"

"If you find Angeal, don't engage." She nodded, but he didn't let go. "Promise," he asked.

"On my honor," she replied, but before she turned again, she added. "But it'll cost ya."

Zack, at first mollified, now looked shocked. "Cost me what, exactly?"

"A sparing session." _I want a rematch_ , she said to herself.

He gave her a thumbs up and then pointed in her direction with a huge smile as he turned to run off. "You got it!"

And with that, Yuffie took the path up the stairs, patting the phone in her pocket. She grinned. She now had Zack's contact info. Payback for Tamblin was going to be so easy...

* * *

 **2 AM**

Yuffie had made it through the reactor with little problem, and faced very little resistance. It helped that the path she had made was along ventilation shafts and support beams. In the passages below her every now and then she had spied some monstrous looking creatures. Nothing that she couldn't have handled, but they weren't her target, and so she ignored them. Now, she was at the end of her path. She looked around carefully before lowering herself down from the support beams into what looked like a relatively large research space. There were tall Mako tanks lining the room, tables stacked with papers, computers, beakers, you name it. All the things needed for freaky science experiments. She picked up a sheath of the papers and started flipping through them.

She took out her PHS and sent a message to the first person she could think of.

" _Got a question:_

 _So, I'm looking through some papers and the name 'Hollander' comes up a lot. Some scientist, huh? Well, the reading is interesting. I might send you a copy of the article._

 _-Yuri_ "

She used the camera on her PHS to snap some quick shot, naming the pictures "Loveless Scene 1" "Loveless Scene 2" and "Loveless Scene 3". She didn't have time to read the research papers herself, but she caught the titles. "Project G", "SOLDIER Degradation Phenomenon", and lastly "The Ancients Project".

The first two tickled a memory in the back of her mind. Zack had spoken of degradation and " _G_ "... probably Genesis. A bit more investigation, and her theory was confirmed. Just from the simple scan, it was obvious that Hollander had been conducting some type of experiments on Genesis, and that they weren't going well. Genesis, like his clones, was degrading. And this was all done under the umbrella of an even larger scheme... the Ancients Project.

She attached the pictures to a new message, addressed it to Kunsel and hit send.

In the distance, metal clattered. It wasn't uncommon in places like this, but clattering meant movement. Movement meant company. The question was what type of company it was: SOLDIER, Scientist, or Experiment?

She put the phone away, tried her best to make things look like she hadn't even been there, and then scooted up the stairs, making use of the cover to hide until she could assess the situation. She just hoped that it was Zack, because if it was anyone else...


	15. We All Fall Down

_Sorry for the time between updates, but... Good news, y'all! Today was the LAST DAY of School for me! Now I can FOCUS on this story! (at least until ffxv comes out...) Otherwise, I've been putting some real thought into the directions I want this story to go. The original idea was to finish out this part of the story with the beginning of the original base game, with all characters save Yuffie in their base-game state. I've since decided that would be too boring for me. Lots of this will be SIMILAR, but there will be some major changes, and not just to Yuffs. With that said, if you are a base-game purist (and if you are, Why are reading fan fiction?), then this is your warning. :)_

 _Also... I'd just like to be clear. There will NOT be a Zack/Yuffie ship in this story. Zerith FTW. I can't wait to crush their dreams... __

 _Thank you guys so much for the reviews, likes, follows, favorites, and all that good jazz!_

 _Standard Disclaimer: Error 404: Rights to FF7 not found._

* * *

 **Mako Reactor 5, Secret Lab. 2 AM.**

The sound of footsteps echoed on the metal floors. They weren't the sounds of a monster, or of someone trying to sneak about. Instead, they were the hurried staccato of hard soles, moving with purpose, if not caution. In a pane of glass across the lab, Yuffie caught the reflection of the owner of those shoes. It was a middle aged man, with graying hair. He wore black slacks, nice shoes, and a ratty old Banora Apples tee shirt underneath his white lab coat, which was not stained with dirt, and probably other things, besides.

Doctor Hollander, or so Yuffie assumed. That was the only man that she could reason would be snooping around a secret lab space inside a mako reactor as if he owned the place. He was examining the mako tanks, jotting notes on a clipboard, and then rushing to the other side of the lab, rinse and repeat. Yuffie watched intently. This was neither Angeal, nor Genesis, but she was fairly certain that this was important. She took out her PHS and flipped it open, noting that Kunsel hadn't returned her message yet. Scrolling through her contacts, she found Zack's name and started a new message.

" _Found something:_

 _It isn't Angeal, but I think I've found Hollander and a secret lab._

 _-Y"_

Her finger hovered over the send button as a slender red blade was placed silently along the side of her throat. Her breath caught, and she went still. She hadn't even heard anyone coming.

"If you value your wretched existence," a richly cultured voice said from behind her, "surrender the PHS and your weapon."

"Tch," was her only reply, as she closed the device and held it up, raising both hands in surrender. There was no doubt in her mind who had her sword point. That crimson blade could only belong to the Red Commander himself. She felt the weight lifted as the Hard Edge was removed from her back holster.

"Tell me, SOLDIER," he addressed her as he removed the PHS from her hand without moving his sword an inch. "How is it that a fresh recruit- for surely that is what you must be- could manage to outpace the _Great Sephiroth,"_ he intoned sardonically, "and yet still be caught unawares by my blade?" His tone was a mixture of curiosity and annoyance.

She swallowed. "Just lucky, I guess," she glibly replied.

"Hmph." He replied with a near laugh, then quoted, " _My friend, the fates are cruel_. Doctor." He called out. "I seem to have caught a rat amidst the shelving."

He grabbed her arm and hauled her up roughly. She moved compliantly, her brain scrambling to find a way out of this predicament. Her sickle was still strapped to her waist, but She'd be dead before she could get it. He had her sword and PHS, so even if she managed to get away, she'd have no way to call it in. There was only one way out of this. She'd have so play along and look for her opening to sweet talk her way out.

Hollander climbed the short stairs from the lower level and took in the sight of Genesis holding the SOLDIER Third at sword point. "Where did he come from?" the Scientist asked, surprised.

"Does it truly matter, Doctor? Regardless, my _Old Friend_ cannot be far behind, probably with the puppy at his heels. The true question is what shall we do with this one?"

Yuffie held her breath while Hollander studied her. "Huh. Third Class. The Seconds seemed to respond worse to the treatments, so he may be of use for testing."

"Woah, woah, woah, wait!" She panicked. "I'd rather you just kill me now! I'd make a terrible clone! I'm really not fit for experimenting on, let me tell you. I'll probably ruin all your whatchamacallits... data! Yeah, Data. That data would be ruined."

Genesis did laugh this time, and it wasn't a happy laugh. "Sad, pitiful fool. Don't you know that is all you are? That is all SOLDIER is?" Yuffie heard the rustling of feathers behind her. "A den of failed experiments and monsters."

"We aren't monsters," She replied with conviction, angered at the implication. "We aren't _lab rats_ , either." She thought back to what Cissnei had said mere hours ago. "Sure, some might be fallen angels, but nobody's perfect."

Hollander met eyes with Genesis. "Keep him contained. We'll move to the secondary lab." Either Genesis replied wordlessly, or gave no reply, because Hollander then returned to the lower level. _Probably to move, hide, or destroy the evidence_ , Yuffie thought to herself. It was a pity. She was certain that she knew a few people who would be very interested in seeing those papers first hand.

" _Fallen Angels._ How poetic of you," the renegade First commented as he led her closer to one of the Mako Chambers. She struggled all the way, to no avail. If he though that she was going in there willingly, he had another thing coming! " _Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul. Pride is lost. Wings stripped away, the end is nigh,"_ he quoted.

She needed leverage to remove his grip from her arm. She was pretty strong now, but nowhere near First Class strong. The pressure from the sword was removed from her neck, and a moment later, she saw him reach for a syringe on the table. That was her chance. She dropped her weight completely, catching the renegade First by surprise and forcing his hand to slide from her arm.

" _Se..._ _Sephiroth_!" Hollander could be heard from the lower level.

Genesis cursed, threw a disdainful look at the Third Class, and then - ejecting a single black wing - threw himself into the air, leaving her alone.

Yuffie scrambled to regain a standing position. Luckily, he had simply left her PHS and Hard Edge on the table. She grabbed them both, keeping the sword firmly in her grip. She couldn't believe her luck. _Thank Leviathan for Sephiroth,_ she though, with a quiet chuckle at the irony. The whole "Enemy of my Enemy" concept was getting very confusing these days. It was more like "The enemy of my enemy is my friend unless the enemy of my enemy is trying to kill me in which case the enemy of my enemy is my enemy squared." She sighed. This spy stuff was getting tough.

And just then, Hollander ran past, with Zack on his heals.

"Yuri! After him!" The raven-haired First commanded while on the go. She didn't have to be told twice, and followed closely behind. She'd rather chase deranged scientists than hang out with a reunion of deranged and overpowered First Classes any day.

* * *

Together, Zack and Yuri cut through all the clones and monsters that attempted to block their paths. It was astounding how Hollander had managed to stay just ahead of them, but the more Zack thought of it, there was no telling how long the scientist had been down here brewing up these... monsters. He couldn't think of the men or animals that these used to be. It sickened him. What was the point of it all?

Yuri cut down another clone to his left, while he took down two on his right. They cut through, and kept running. Zack cut his eyes briefly to his 3rd class subordinate. The younger SOLDIER was keeping up pretty well, and even seemed to be taking it all in stride. The cheeky brat even had the nerve to grin and throw him a peace sign. The entire gesture reminded him that Yuri was only fourteen or fifteen. Probably way too young to be going after evil scientists and mad experiments, SOLDIER or not.

That didn't stop the two of them from cutting through the swath of enemies, anyway. Long corridors gave way to open rooms, and for the first time that night since entering the interior of the plate, he could feel wind and smell air. It wasn't fresh air, but at least it was as fresh as the air in Midgar got. Even better, Hollander was now cornered. And all the clones that he had killed up until now... all those people who had once been individuals...

"Hollander! Do you understand what you're doing?" he asked angrily, approaching the visibly shaken scientist. When it was obvious that he was going to keep running, Yuri dashed past Zack, unleashing a spell at the retreating scientist. It had just enough time to go off before the First's SOLDIER-sense tingled. He pulled the 3rd back just in time for the blade falling in front of their path to miss them. The spell connected, and Hollander crumpled to the floor in a boneless mass. He snored loudly. Must have been a sleep spell, Zack decided, begrudgingly impressed and jealous that he hadn't thought of that first.

That wasn't enough to hold his attention, though. Zack stared at that oh-so familiar blade. It was a blade that was never used, because use brings about wear, tear, and rust. He still had a hand on the scruff of Yuri's shirt, though the 3rd class had gone still, taking a knee. Zack was thankful for the kid's sense of self-preservation.

"Working for Hollander now?" he asked the wielder of the sword. It seemed out of character for Angeal. There was nothing his mentor had cherished more than his SOLDIER honor. There had to be something else to it. "What is it you're after?"

"World Domination." The other First responded monotonously.

Zack frowned. "That's not even funny, man."

Angeal lowered the Buster Sword. "How about... revenge?"

That had Zack's attention. He released Yuri's shirt. Angeal had crossed his arms, so the 3rd stood slowly and took a cautious step back. "For what?" Zack asked.

The older SOLDIER didn't answer, however. Instead, he took a few steps into the room, his back to the younger pair. Wordlessly, he released a pair of pristine, white wings from his right shoulder, one significantly larger than the other.

Yuri gasped, and even Zack had to take a step back. "Woah."

"I've become... a monster. A monster's objective is usually world domination or revenge," Angeal stated plainly.

Zack stepped forward, but before he could say a word, Yuri was already there. "Whatever, old man!" the younger SOLDIER scoffed with some bravado. "Those obviously aren't monster wings. Not dark, leathery, or spikey enough."

The renegade First turned his attention to the 3rd as if seeing him for the first time. He flared his large wing demonstrably, referring to it with disdain, and sending white feathers sailing through the air. "Well then, what are they?"

Zack caught a feather, holding it gently in his hand. "That should also be obvious. Angel's Wings."

Angeal lowered his head a fraction, looking at the floor. "I see." He looked up at his former protege. "Then what should an angel fight for, Zack? What do angels dream of!?" He angrily shouted to the ceiling, once more sending feathers dancing on the wind.

Yuri took a step forward, hand cautiously on his sword.

Zack held out his hand, wordlessly telling the 3rd to stand down. "Remember your promise." The shorter SOLDIER simply nodded once, lowering his hand. He looked back at his mentor. "Angeal..."

The former First stabbed the Buster Sword into the ground. With that action, Zack's heart sank into his stomach. He knew what that sword represented to Angeal. It was his dreams and his honor. It wasn't right for the blade to not be always on his mentor's back. He had a bad feeling...

"Angel's dream of one thing..." the First trailed off, almost wistfully, still walking towards the pair.

"Please, tell me."

"Zack..." Yuri whispered worriedly, but keeping his hands from his weapons.

Angeal quietly replied, "To be human."

With advanced speed, the former mentor rushed Zack, delivering a punch to the gut that sent the First flying.

"Zack!" Yuri yelled out, rushing to his side as he rolled to a stop.

He shook his head, thankful that his skull was thick. Warmth poured over him, and he spared a quick glance at Yuri, whose hands still held the faint green glow of a cure spell.

He stood and took in the situation. Yuri was upholding his promise. The 3rd was caution and alert, but still hadn't drawn his sword or sickle. Angeal was glaring angrily at them both.

"Defend yourselves!" his former mentor demanded.

Zack shook his head, taking one cautious step to block Angeal's path to the 3rd. Not that he didn't trust either of them...

The white winged SOLDIER roared, then collided his fist with the ground. Zack braced for the resulting shock wave. Unfortunately, that didn't stop the grate from collapsing underneath him. He screamed on the way down, with Yuri yelling his name from the rapidly retreating flooring above. At least the 3rd had managed to not fall with him.

Back in the plate interior, Yuri stood and threw a baleful glare at the former First Class. She didn't know this guy from Adam, but the way the other SOLDIERs had talked about him, she'd always imagined him as some sort of SOLDIER Saint, all _dreams_ , _honor_ , and _SOLDIER pride_. That wasn't what she saw in front of her, though. Instead, she saw the look of self-deprecation. His anger wasn't at Zack, or at her... it was at himself. Worry also laced his features as he looked at the collapsed section of floor where Zack had once stood.

While Mopey moped, she stole a glance in Hollander's direction. He was still snoring away. With all this racket, she was sure that he would have woken up. She mentally gave herself a pat on the back for her excellent materia work, then turned her attention back to the First.

Though instead of attacking her, he instead gave her an order. "Go after him. Make sure he's okay."

She raised an eyebrow at him. She wanted to do just that, as well as take Hollander into custody. She was under no delusions, though. She wasn't up to par with the Firsts quite yet. Plus, she had made a promise, and she was sure Angeal wouldn't just let her have Hollander. At the same time, she had no rope, and a straight drop down. "Says the Old Guy with wings," she said under her breath.

He was already walking away, approaching the sleeping scientist. "Angel's should fight for their friends," she answered his previous question, rhetorical though it might have been. "And as for dreams..."

"I thought I told you to go find Zack."

She crossed her arms. "Yeah, it isn't like I have rope. Come on, Angel, give me a lift down, at least."

"My name is Angeal," he corrected.

"I know what I said," she approached him, but he yanked his sword from the floor and pointed it sharply at her face. With a little effort, she didn't even flinch. Deep down, she was metaphorically wetting her pants.

"I don't understand," the wayward First stated quietly. "Zack, I can understand, but you... Why do you not see a Monster in front of you?"

She just raised her hands, and stared down his over-sized blade. "Look, I was raised not to judge a book by its cover. Plus, an acquaintance recently told me that wings don't mean 'monster'. They mean 'freedom'." She sighed and shook her head. "Freedom is priceless, if you ask me."

He lowered his sword and swung it around, resting it against the magnet on his back, where it stayed. "Is that so..." He replied, turning his back to her and bending to check on the sleeping scientist.

It was becoming obvious that Angeal had no intention of helping her out. She sighed dejectedly and walked back to the hole in the floor, gazing down inside of it while she formulated a game plan as to how she was going to get down. Surely there was a series of ladders, or an elevator... if all else failed, she could probably back track and take the train, though that would take too long. If Zack needed help now, he'd probably be beyond help by then...

A sudden impact from behind caught her off guard and she found herself falling down the hole as well. She screamed, and flailed for a moment before she realized that she was being held. In the air.

"You... are surprisingly light, Ms. 'Don't judge a book by its cover'," Angeal said. She huffed, and decided that she really needed to practice on that masculine scream. After a controlled fall, they were almost to the roof line of the slums below. "You should be fine from here. Take care of the pup for me." And then he dropped her.

The fifty foot drop was way better than the five hundred foot drop that Zack had taken. She rolled into it easily enough and avoided taking damage from the fall. Though, she was pretty sure that without Mako, she would have been pretty hurt from that fall otherwise.

"Zack, you had best be okay. I still need a chance to kick your ass," she said to herself, and then looked at the building in front of her. It was a little run-down church, the front door standing slightly ajar. It was also right underneath where Zack had fallen. Odds were he was in there.

As the sun slowly rose over the horizon and filtered in through the slum haze, she braced herself and stepped through the church doors.


	16. Someone Else's Wild Night

_AN: I spawned a tiny human while I was away. It is less tiny now._

 _AN AN: I struggled so hard with this chapter, to the point that I had to step away from it and reapproach with fresh eyes. In the end, I decided to NOT rewrite the Aerith/Zack meeting point, though I will attached the "cut scene" at the end. Not good enough to keep, but too much trouble to throw away. I'm sure Yuff's wouldn't have minded butting in, but every rendition of the scene that I wrote left me feeling like our heroine was an interloper. So, you get this. Also… I might have given the scientists full names. Hojo is named after Shiro Ishii. I felt it was fitting. And Hollander just looks like a "James" to me._

 _HOWEVER, (Insert disclaimer of non-ownership here). p.s. AeriTH. :D_

* * *

 **[ ν ] - εγλ 0001 - April 3rd**

The sun rose over the edge of the plate, sunlight spilling forth- less like light and more like a viscous syrup- through the Midgar smog. The night had been hectic, the battles often, but finally the sectors of Midgar were once again at peace, its citizens waking and starting another day in the city that never really sleeps. Despite this, Kunsel was still uneasy. He glanced at the time on his PHS and viewed the images that Yuri had sent him, along with its cryptic message. He had expected Yuri and Zack back hours ago, and yet here he stood at the entrance to the Shinra building still waiting. What were they doing in the sector five reactor, in the first place? Zack, he knew, could handle himself, but Yuri… well, she could handle herself as well, but a knot was still tying up in his stomach. He'd read through the reports that she had sent him pictures of. Project G, and the Ancients Project… he'd skimmed through the documents and they had left a sour taste in his mouth. Did G perhaps stand for Genesis? It was obvious from the Ancients Project documentation that Project G was only one of the sub-projects under its umbrella. Bringing back the Ancients through experimentation and breeding, going so far as to implant foreign genetic code into infant test subjects and expecting mothers. It was unconscionable.

Professor's Gast Faremis, Hojo Ishii, and James Hollander were all listed as contributors to the various projects. Though Professor Gast had long since passed away, Hojo and Hollander still continued the work. He couldn't help but recall the science department's interest in Yuri. To hell with that. He had always known that there was something shady about the science department, but now he had irrefutable proof of just how deeply they could screw someone over. Project G was nearly 20 years in the making, producing at least one of the strongest SOLDIERs alive. Were these experiments still ongoing? Were they sanctioned by Shinra? What were their goals? There were so many questions that Kunsel now wanted the answers to, but chief amongst them was "Where are Yuri and Zack?" The worst part was he couldn't call without possibly endangering whatever mission they were on.

He flipped the phone open and closed a few times, fidgeting. He never fidgeted. Yuri was killing his nerves.

Leaning back against the wall and staring out the glass walls of the Shinra Building lobby, he threw a little salute at the receptionist and crossed his arms, falling into his usual standby stance, watching everything from the shelter of his helmet.

Finally, his PHS rang. It only did so once, before he anxiously answered it. "About time you called," he said to the person on the other side.

" _Who are you, my mother?_ " Yuri snarked back.

Kunsel shook his head with a slight smile. She was definitely okay. "Well, you did kinda leave me hanging with those juicy pictures."

There was silence on the other side of the line for a moment. " _Oh, you liked that, didja_?" The voice was teasing.

"You know it," he answered. They were definitely something to think about. "Is Zack with you?"

" _Well…_ " she hesitated on the other side of the line, " _He was. Lets just say he found a new playmate for the time being._ "

Well, knowing Zack, that was either a new enemy or a new girl. The fact that Yuri was casually calling him right now meant that it was most likely a girl. He chuckled and shook his head. "Well, hurry on back when you can. We need to talk about this new talent for photography."

On the other side of the line, Yuri gave a small laugh. " _Heh, well, I'm just full of surprises._ " And then she hung up.

Kunsel stared briefly at the silent PHS in his hand before pocketing it and making his way to the elevators. He had a contact in the records room, and there were a few questions that he was interested in answering.

* * *

"Stupid Firsts," Yuffie grumbled to herself as she drug herself up the street toward her apartment in the slums. "And their stupid hormones and male egos and inconsiderate…" Her thoughts trailed off. It had been at least an hour since she'd left Zack to the tender mercies of that slum church shrine maiden. Okay, so she wasn't an actual shrine maiden, but that was the vibe that she picked up from her. She seemed the type. Whatever, she thought to herself, tired, cranky, and ready for a nap without Turk surveillance. What did it matter to her if Zack wanted to fraternize with the locals, anyhow? Its not like she had been worried about him or anything. She kicked at a random rock on the side walk and stretched, walking with her hands behind her head.

She'd taken the circuitous route back to base. The events of the evening had given her a lot to think about. SOLDIER, the Firsts, Shinra, the science department. The fact that she had come this close to being turned into a corpse or a clone. It was all enough to make her head hurt. She took out her PHS and pulled up the pictures that she had taken of the files in Hollander's secret lab. She thought about it for a moment, her finger hovering over the "send to" button. This was information that she knew her father would love to have, but what if her PHS was being monitored?

A shiver ran down her spine. She was probably okay with sending the pictures to Kunsel, since he was also in SOLDIER. It had been a rash decision, but hopefully it wouldn't come back to bite her.

Her thoughts soured further as she remembered the extraction mission from a few months back. After spending a lot of time thinking over it, she'd realized that it was too convenient that the military had been there lying in wait, and SOLDIER on top of it all. She'd never brought it up to Kunsel, playing her suspicions close to her chest, but it had never sat right with her. And then there was the Turk surveillance that she was definitely under. Was it related to Wutai? Her gender? The Science Department? Probably a combination, even.

She had so many secrets to guard, it was hard to tell what was under suspicion. Kunsel had already told her that the Science department was interested in her. It was enough to make her highly unsettled, especially after seeing some of the things in Hollander's secret clone factory.

She stopped in the middle of the deserted sidewalk, clutching the closed PHS in a tight fist. Damn Shinra, she thought like an oft used mantra. What secrets are They hiding, I wonder. She was positive that it was nothing good, and Wutai, her home, had to know.

Making a decision, she let her feet carry her through the tangled web of streets to the nearest pay phone. Dropping in a few gil plus the extra for long distance, she dialed a number that she was surprised she hadn't forgotten.

" _Moshi moshi_ ," answered a feminine Wutaian voice after three rings.

"Sakura-chan! Have you heard? They are opening a Jasmine Dragon in Little Wutai!" She responded in as feminine a voice as she could muster. Then she waited a few moments while "Sakura" -an alias she had invented on the spot- processed the code words in her rushed opening.

" _Oh, my, gosh! How cool is that! Shoot me the deets and maybe we can meet up?_ " Yuffie smirked. "Sakura" played along well, for one of her father's subordinates. They were usually very stuffy and uptight.

"No can do, Sak-a-roonie! Pops has me on lock-down." Yuffie responded. "Had to sneak out to use the payphone, but news like this couldn't wait! Ten out ten, Sake-bear. Ten. Out. Of. Ten."

" _So hotter than the Ten Faced Mountain in Summer, huh?_ "

Message recieved. "You bet," Yuffie chirped. "Give Uncle Godo a kiss for me, yeah? Got my number?"

She could just imagine the person on the other end of the line blanching at the thought of giving the imposing Godo Kisaragi a kiss. The mental image amused her, even if the voice on the other end didn't signify a reaction. " _I got it. I'll call when you aren't on restriction._ "

"Sweet. Laters!" She hung up the pay phone without waiting for a formal goodbye from her father's underground secretary, or whatever you wanted to call the person who answers the phone of a shadow organization.

Just as she was walking down the street and contemplating the efficiency of ninja secretaries, her PHS Buzzed.

 _Message: no title_

 _Restriction is over. You have five minutes. Please relay message now._

 _-"S"_

Wow, Yuffie whistled to herself. Pops' goons are Turk level scary.

She attached the pictures into a return message, noting that the number was not the same as the emergency number her father had given her to memorize as a child, the one she had called. She didn't bother to save it. Odds were that the number would be defunct in the next five minutes. A minute after hitting send, a new message appeared on her screen.

 _Message: no title_

 _Recieved. Good Luck._

 _-"S"_

And then right before the five minute mark, the entire conversation was wiped from her phone as if it had never happened.

Finally, she let herself expel some of the tension, and then finished dragging herself the rest of the way into her bed in the slums.

* * *

After three hours of precious, precious sleep, the aggravating chirp of her ring tone cut through the idyllic haze that had been the beginning of a dream. With as little grace as possible, she managed to take the beast in hand and silence it with a grunt. A moment later, not even long enough to fully drift back into the nether, the incessant ringing began again. This time, she answered.

"…Go away." Click.

The phone rang for a third time. This time she sat up, rubbed her eyes, saw who was calling her, and the time, and then groaned, accepting the call.

"Sup, Neils."

" _Sup? I dunno, what's up with you, Yuri? Did I wake you_?" He sounded perturbed.

She rubbed her eyes, trying to make them focus on more than a foot in front of her face. "Kinda, yeah."

The line was silent for a moment. " _Where on earth were you sleeping_?" her roommate asked, but then hastily added, " _You know what, I don't even want to know._ "

"Probably for the best," she responded without a hint of remorse.

" _I'd say you missed a wild night, but it seems like you had one of your own. I want details later_." The northerner jibed.

"So what fun did I miss?" she asked, locating the various parts of her uniform that she'd left strewn around the room. One thing she liked about Niels was that he was always good for gossip.

"Well," he obliged, " _For starters, after we had finished cleaning up Midgar of Clone SOLDIERS, the Shinra building got attacked_."

That got her interest. "Any casualties?"

" _Just some bruised egos, I think_." He answered thoughtfully. " _The brunt of the attack was on the science floors, but General Sephiroth and that new First Class Zack Fair took care of that, I heard. Also heard that Genesis made a play for Professor Hojo_."

Yuffie's heart skipped a beat. It might be too good to be true, but hope sprung eternal as she asked, "Did he get him?"

And then she frowned as her hopes were dashed. " _No. Genesis made his get away once Zack showed up, I heard._ "

Yuffie, now fully awake, quirked an eyebrow. "You seem awfully well informed, Niels."

His voice cracked just a bit. "W _ell, actually I found all this out from Kunsel, who had heard it from Zack, both of whom where looking for you. Kunsel is down in Records- no PHS allowed- and Zack is trying to get in on a mission to Modeoheim to chase after his mentor, Angeal, so I got saddled with hunting you down._ " The next thing he said was grumbled low enough that she wasn't sure he meant for her to hear it. " _How hard is it to answer a phone, anyway_?"

"Three hours sleep. Neils," she informed him, followed by the obligatory slightly veiled threat. "If I don't get more than that when I get back, you'd best be sleeping with one eye open."

" _And there's the Wutai Kid we all know and love_ ," he teased.

"Shut your pie hole, Ice Man," she replied, and then hung up as a way of saying goodbye. With a series of grunts and grumbles, she reassembled her uniform and weapons, smacked on her helmet, and made her way back to the upper plates.

* * *

 **Same day, Noon.**

Cloud readjusted the collar of his uniform and stood straighter as Yuri approached the Shinra building. With Yuri wearing his helmet, the only thing that tipped Cloud off as to his identity was the specialized sickle at his hip. It was folded and put away, but Yuri was the only SOLDIER that he'd seen with that style of sickle. He'd contemplated asking the ex-wutaian ninja to teach him how to throw as well, after they were done with swordsmanship. He didn't want to be greedy with Yuri's time. The SOLDIER 3rd may be younger than Cloud, but he was still higher rank, after all. Cloud chuckled at the thought.

"Hey, Yuri," He greeted with a raised hand, catching the distracted SOLDIER off guard. The slight jolt in the SOLDIER's step was all the evidence given that he'd been lost in thought.

Yuri paused at the Shinra entrance and looked in his direction. "Blondie?" he asked.

Cloud frowned. "Why do I get the feeling you're surprised to see me here?"

"Eh, not really surprised," the Wutai SOLDIER answered. "Just caught off guard. Wasn't really expecting to run into anyone I knew."

This confused the infantryman. "At the Shinra building? But don't you know everyone?"

This was answered with a shrug. "Not closely, Cloudy-boy," was the answer, murmured in a far off, distracted sort of way. After visibly shaking himself, the SOLDIER turned back to him. "So, what brings you to this impromptu guard duty of the Shinra entrance?"

He cursed not wearing his helmet, because he was sure Yuri could see the slight heat that inflamed his cheeks. "Well, I'm about to head out on my first mission with SOLDIER, and wanted to say 'bye' before I headed out, is all." He scratched the back of his head. "Off to some place called Modeoheim."

Yuri's head snapped up, hitting Cloud with an intense stare. "Modeoheim? You sure?"

The infantryman nodded, watching as the SOLDIER 3rd Class, paced a few steps, bitting the tip of the thumb of his glove. "Is it connected?" he heard Yuri mutter, obviously not directing this at him. When the SOLDIER looked back up, he put a hand on Cloud's shoulder. "Look, there's some weird stuff going down, so be careful, got it?" This caused Cloud to stiffen. Yuri was almost never this serious. Then the Wutaian smirked. "It wouldn't look good to have my one and only disciple die on his first mission, now would it?"

Cloud relaxed and return a smirk of his own with a slight shake of his head. That was more like the Yuri he knew. "Whatever you say, Yuri."

Yuri smacked the side of his head. "Hey, now. Don't snark your master."

Cloud chuckled and rubbed the side of his head. "Well, its nice to know you care."

Taking a hand on the hip stance, Yuri smirked at him. "Of course! You are like the little blonde brother I never had!"

"But I'm older," Cloud reminded, just to get a rise out of the easily baited SOLDIER.

Predictably, Yuri sulked. "Brat."

* * *

 **Three hours later.**

Smoke, twisted metal, and the evacuated bowels of two recently dead Shinra infantrymen filled the senses of one Cloud Strife. How he had survived was a mystery to him, but he cast a furtive glance at Tseng, the former pilot of the plane. Also surviving was SOLDIER 1st Class, Zack Fair.

After making sure that all of his limbs were still attached, Cloud looked up at the outstretched hand of the raven haired SOLDIER, and grasped it, thankful to be alive. Besides, it wouldn't look good to be dying now.

* * *

 _AN: Like I said, I didn't want to include this, so its down below. Feel free to pretend that there is nothing below this line if you like, but for those with masochistic tendencies or low expectations, see below for the "Zack meets Aerith" scene._

 _So, I don't have a beta reader, or a vetting process, or anything like that, and I'm posting at 2:40 am because sleep is for people with time. Odds are that I'll be going back and editing this later, or reposting, or something crazy like that. Please let me know if you see any blaring errors that hurt the eyes so that I may fix them and soothe the souls of the masses._

 _-Pisceskat_

* * *

 **And the Dining Room proudly presents:** **The scene that was cut but ate too much time to throw away. Brought to you by Hetap.**

"Hello? Hell-O-ooo!"

The scene was almost comical. Zack was splayed out, limbs akimbo, in the middle of a flowerbed of delicate white flowers. Standing over and calling out to him was a teenage girl in a white sundress trimmed in blue. Yuffie estimated that they were about the same age, though no one was going to mistake her for a boy of any age. Her features were delicate, with soft eyes, delicate skin, and a long braided ponytail the color of mahogany. The girl looked up from the prone SOLDIER and regarded Yuffie.

"Oh! Another visitor," she said. Her head was tilted to the side, ever so slightly, as if she was contemplating something, then added to Yuffie, "You are a strange one, aren't you?"

Yuffie paused in her tracks and huffed. "Am not! I'm just, uh," she pointed at Zack. "You found something of mine."

Zack chose that moment to stir with a groan. "Heaven?"

"Pff, hardly," Yuffie crossed her arms. He seemed just fine. "Why was I even worried?" she said under her breath. The other SOLDIER obviously hadn't noticed her, though.

"An Angel?" He said, looking at the teenage girl in the white sundress, sitting up.

She shook her head. "No. I'm Aerith," she said. "This is a church in the slums."

Yuffie stepped forward, stopping at the edge of the flowers. She really didn't want to step on the ones that Zack hadn't already crushed. "Yuri," she introduced herself with a thumb pointed at her chest. She then pointed at the prone SOLDIER. "The floor mat is Zack."

The First turned a look to her and was vaguely shocked. "You're here too, Yuri?"

"No, I'm a figment of your imagination," she deadpanned. "After you fell through the roof, An... uh..." She cast a look at Aerith and picked her words wisely, "Our mutual friend gave me a lift down here. To make sure you were okay."

Zack looked up at the hole in the ceiling, a thoughtful look on his face. "He did, did he?" He shook his head, then smiled at Aerith. "So, you saved me?"

She shook her head again. "'Hell-ooo!' That's all I did," she demonstrated.

Yuffie rolled her eyes as Zack showed off, rocking backwards and flipping up to a standing position. Well, of course he couldn't stand up like a normal person. "Well, thanks, Aerith!" He smiled brightly at the girl, whose eyes were laughing behind her smile. "I'll have to repay you somehow." Wait... did this guy flirt with every girl he saw? The third class SOLDIER was suddenly very eager to kick his Shinra ass.

The flower girl shook her head. "Don't worry about it!"

"No, no..." the flirt said, pacing while he thought, a hand on his chin. He snapped his fingers. "Hey, how about one date?"

The girl laughed. "What is that? Don't be silly."

Yuffie laughed out loud, "Ooh, and he strikes out!" she teased her superior officer.

Zack was undeterred. "Come on, Yuri, help me out here!"

She shook her head and waved a hand. "Whatever, man. You're on your own."

He looked dejected, walking across the church. He wasn't minding his feet however, and both the third and the flower girl called out:

"Don't step on the flowers!"

"Don't step on the flowers, moron!"

He paused and looked back at forth at both of the people frowning at him, one on either side. Aerith admonished him. "See? People normally try not to step on flowers."

Zack looked at Yuffie for help. She simply shrugged her shoulders. She was pretty sure there was some unspoken man-rule that she was supposed to be helping him out, but she didn't feel like it. The 1st Class just shook his head and then looked back at the pretty girl, "Well, I guess I'm not normal."

Yuffie looked at the flower girl and nodded to her, "It was nice to meet you, Aerith," then turned to Zack. It was obvious to her that she was probably a third wheel here. "Good luck," she said with a chuckle, then added just low enough for his hearing, "you are going to need it. I'll let everyone know you aren't dead." She took headed towards the church doors. "And don't forget you owe me a rematch!"

"Rematch?" Zack asked. Yuffie cursed herself, thankful that she had been facing away from him for that slip up.

"Eh, spar, whatever!" She amended. "Laters!" She waved a peace sign and dropped a smoke bomb, cloaking her exit just for the heck of it.

Aerith chuckled. "She sure is a strange one, indeed."

Zack shook his head, arms crossed, but also smirking at the ex-ninja's antics. "You mean 'He'. And yes he is," he agreed. The green-eyed girl gave him a strange look momentarily, before it morphed into a shrug as she turned back to regard the flowers. Zack let it go. Yuri was kind of a runt, so he could see how the mistake could be made. He also turned to look at the flower bed. "Flowers, huh? Don't see many of them in Midgar."

 **End Cut Scene. Mmhmm Hetap.**


	17. Meanwhile, in Modeoheim

_AN: Welcome to the first Cloud-centric chapter. I hope it doesn't disappoint. I just wanted to give him some face time and show off how much he's changed since coming under Yuri's influence. :D_

 _Insert standard disclaimer of non-ownership here._

 **Plane Crash, South of Modeoheim**

* * *

 _Smoke, twisted metal, and the evacuated bowels of two recently dead Shinra infantrymen filled the senses of one Cloud Strife. How he had survived was a mystery to him, but he cast a furtive glance at Tseng, the former pilot of the plane. Also surviving was SOLDIER 1st Class, Zack Fair._

 _After making sure that all of his limbs were still attached, Cloud looked up at the outstretched hand of the raven haired SOLDIER and grasped it, thankful to be alive. Besides, it wouldn't look good to be dying now._

"Well that was a fine how-do-you-do," The 1st Class SOLDIER grumbled, pulling the infantryman to his feet. He gave Cloud a pat on the shoulder and a once-over. "You alright?"

Cloud nodded, looking behind him at the wreckage. Of the four infantrymen that had been sent on this detachment, two remained, including himself.

"No signal out here," Tseng lamented, closing his PHS with a loud snap and putting it away. Cloud stepped carefully through the layer of snowfall over to the remaining private and helped him to his feet like Zack had done for him.

"Well, at least we four are all in one piece," Zack replied and flashed a reassuring grin at the infantrymen, tinged with remorse for the two who weren't. "We'll be alright."

"Thankfully, we have someone used to this kind of terrain," the Turk noted, referencing the snow-covered mountainous region that they had gracelessly landed in. Cloud was momentarily caught off guard, mistakenly thinking that the Turk had meant him. Zack spoke up before he could react.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm a country boy…" the SOLDIER 1st shrugged. From his dismissive tone, it was clear to Cloud that this was probably something the first was teased about on a regular basis. The Nibelheim native could relate.

"Allright then," Tseng asserted, taking the lead and moving forward through the snow. "We would have reached Modeoheim by now if we hadn't crashed, so we are going to need to make up for lost time."

Zack followed, quickly passing the taciturn Turk and beckoned the rest of the party with a jaunty wave. "All right, then! Follow me!"

"Wait, what about..." Cloud trailed off while looking back at the wreckage, a somber expression on his face.

"Leave them," Tseng replied dourly. "Once we make contact with Shinra, a team will be sent."

It made sense, as regrettable as it was. They still had a job to do. With a sigh, Cloud snatched up his rifle and followed suit. The other infantryman did the same.

It was lucky happenstance that the snowfall wasn't as deep as it could have been. Coming from a mountain region, Cloud knew that mountain snowfall could easily get deep enough to bury a man in no time. By his estimation, it had been a while since this mountain saw heavy snow, which made the trek easily manageable for the mountain native. There were a few monsters that lurked the natural game trail they followed through the mountains, but nothing that the energetic SOLDIER couldn't handle with ease. Cloud hardly had to lift his rifle. He contented himself with keeping an eye on the terrain and watching for natural hazards.

He also paid attention to the man in the lead. Zack seemed to be a happy-go-lucky kind of guy. It made him wonder if the SOLDIER's enthusiasm was planned, with the goal of keeping his subordinates' spirits from falling too far. If so, it was an admirable leadership trait that Cloud wished he had. Yuri was another one who seemed to have that trait. The young infantryman knew that his mentor had problems of his own, but he always stayed positive and energetic. Cloud had taken Yuri's warning not to become too pensive to heart, though it was still a work in progress. Watching the First Class and making comparisons led him to think that brooding was probably not a good trait for a SOLDIER to have.

In time, they approached a ravine between two peaks. Zack turned around and teased Tseng, who had lagged, and the other infantryman who was back even farther still. "Yo! Don't fall too far behind!" And with a bouncing turn-step forward he walked, this time side by side with Cloud. "At least someone's keeping up," he approved.

Cloud smirked. "Well, I'm a country boy, too."

"Oh?" Zack paused, looking on the infantryman with interest and giving the others a chance to catch up. "From where?"

Cloud paused as well, wondering briefly if he should tell him. He just hoped the 1st didn't react like Yuri. "Nibelheim," he answered confidently. Zack blinked at him once, twice, then laughed deeply. Cloud huffed. Just like Yuri. "What about you?"

The 1st cut off his laughter and pointed at himself with his thumb. "Me?" he asked and smiled just as confidently, crossing his arms. "Gongaga."

Cloud tried to hide his chuckle behind his hand.

"Hey," Zack dropped his pose, affronted. "What's so funny about that! You know Gongaga?"

The Nibelheim native faced the SOLDIER. "No. Its just such a backwater name," he answered with a hint of humor in his voice.

"Ditto Nibelheim!" Zack returned confidently, arms crossed with a nod, then turned back up the path.

"Like you've been there," the infantryman shot back as he joined step with the Gongagan, not quite sure why he was defending his hometown. It really was backwater central.

"I haven't," Zack admitted, "but there's a reactor there, right?"

Cloud nodded.

"A mako reactor outside of Midgar usually means…" the 1st trailed off.

"Nothing else out there," they both said in unison, then laughed.

Zack turned back to face the laggers and shouted out, "Good news, Tseng! Me and…" he looked at the infantryman for his name.

Cloud removed his helmet and smirked at the 1st. "Cloud. Cloud Strife."

"Me and Cloud here are both backwater experts!" Zack announced cheerfully with a wide gesture, then pumped his fists, "Oh, yeah!"

From the back, Tseng harrumphed. "Good. Carry on then," he replied loud enough for the pair to hear him, sounding slightly disgruntled.

Zack and Cloud obliged, once again leading the charge. The backwater brothers-in-arms picked the path wisely, steering away from the more snow-laden paths. Cloud noted the heavier packed snow on the ridges above them. He swung his rifle back behind him and pulled out a kodachi.

Zack noticed, and asked, "What's that for?"

The infantryman pointed up and to the right. "Avalanche hazard. Now is not the time to fire a rifle."

"Huh," the ravenette voiced appreciatively.

The blonde smirked. "What, I thought you were a backwater expert," he nudged.

The SOLDIER sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Well, Gongaga is more… tropical." Cloud snickered, but kept his sword at hand as they walked. Zack gestured to it. "So, can you use that thing?"

This time, the spiky-haired blond grinned. "I can always use more practice," he replied cheerily.

Zack hummed. "I didn't think swords were standard in the infantry."

Cloud shrugged. "They aren't," he admitted. "Truth is I'm trying out for SOLDIER. The guy teaching me swordsmanship suggested I trade out. The standard issue tonfa doesn't really fit with my melee style."

The 1st's eyebrows rose appraisingly. "SOLDIER, huh? Maybe I should let you take the next monster that shows up," he razzed.

"Eh, practice makes perfect," Cloud replied with a glint in his eye as he spotted one of those giant mutant bug things that seemed to wander onto the path. Taking Zack at his word, he engaged.

"I was kind of kidding!" Zack drew his own sword and engaged the giant bird that had also approached, leaving the bug to Cloud. It was odd how these things always seemed to travel in pairs. He cut it down quickly, then observed the spiky-haired blond. The infantryman was doing fine, actually, though there was something about his fighting style that tickled the back of his brain. With a bit more effort than Zack would have needed, Cloud downed the bug with a stab in the joint of its carapace.

"Nice work," the 1st congratulated. "Your fighting style, though. I know I've seen it somewhere." He pondered while they continued up the path. "Who is your instructor?"

Cloud saw no harm in telling him, so he answered. "Yuri Kisaragi, SOLDIER 3rd Class."

"Woah! Really?" Zack exclaimed, giving his younger compatriot a shocked look.

"You know him?" Cloud wasn't really surprised. They were both in SOLDIER, after all.

The 1st Class nodded. "Yeah, I know him. My buddy, Kunsel, introduced us. He was my back up during the attack on Midgar." He hummed thoughtfully. "I'm surprised though. I had Yuri pegged as a spell and sickle kind of guy. I didn't realize he was also a swordmaster."

Cloud just shrugged. "Well, if you've met him, you already know. He's… kind of weird." This earned him a deep laugh from Zack, to which he also chuckled.

The path ahead became wider, signifying the end of the ravine. Shortly after, they ended at a cliff top, overlooking a deep valley and the mako facility nestled within it. It looked a bit more rundown than usual, probably an old abandoned building. It was most likely their destination.

Zack paused, overlooking the facility, and then looked back behind them, where Tseng and the other infantryman trailed behind a good distance. He exhaled heavily and looked at Cloud. "Let's wait a bit."

After a few moments of silence, Cloud cleared his throat. "Hey, Zack… can I ask you something?"

"Huh?"

"What's it like being in SOLDIER?"

Zack thought about it for a moment with a confused look. "I don't quite get the question," he answered, but then smirked. "Well, once you join, you'll know what its like," he answered confidently.

 _Once you join_... the younger boy echoed to himself. A slow, small smile crept onto his face. The possibility was seeming less and less impossible. With that endorsement, Cloud nodded. "Hopefully soon."

Zack returned the nod, and then turned back to the facility, noticing movement. "Cloud, look."

The two of them moved to the edge of the cliff, crouching down in the snow. Below them, the seemingly abandoned facility was abandoned no more. Troops dressed in red patrolled the buildings below. Genesis's men.

"That's a mako excavation test site," Tseng said from behind them.

Zack stood up and dusted the snow off his knees. "I'll go check it out."

Tseng put a fist on his hip, contemplating the situation. "Our primary objective is to investigate Modeoheim. We can't afford to lose people here. At the same time, we can't ignore the activities of the Genesis army." He looked at Zack pointedly, "Therefore…"

"Infiltrate while avoiding combat, right?" Zack caught on.

"Exactly." He scanned the buildings below them before pointing one out in particular. "There is an entrance at the back of that warehouse. Once you are inside the facility, you can do as you like."

"You got it," Zack confirmed, pumping a fist. "I'll prove that SOLDIER isn't all about muscle and brawn." He looked at Cloud. "You watch too, Cloud."

"I plan on it," he answered. "I'm coming, too."

"Uh…" Zack started, doubtfully.

Tseng surprised the 1st with his input. "Take him." He gave Cloud an appraising look. "You said that Yuri Kisaragi has been teaching you swordsmanship. Is that all he's been teaching you?"

Cloud had the presence of mind to look mildly contrite. He didn't realize that the Turk had been close enough to hear that. For the sake of self preservation, he hoped that nothing bad would come of this. Yuri could be quite creative, even without The List. And he didn't like the way the 3rd Class cackled when he read number sixty three.

The Turk clarified for the confused SOLDIER. "Private Strife will more than suffice as backup for this covert operation."

"Okay, then." Zack smiled at the infantryman in question. "Let go, Cloud."

He nodded and shadowed the SOLDIER down the cliff.

* * *

Cloud peeked around the corner of the gate entrance, eyes on the patrols. There was one Genesis soldier patrolling the front, walking back and forth. On the patrol back, the soldier left an opening on the west side. The infantryman looked back at Zack, who was doing squats against the gate, hidden from view of the patrols.

"What…" he soundlessly mouthed, but then waved himself off.

"It's cold." Zack mouthed back. Cloud smirked and shook his head. After growing up in the mountain cold, this was merely a bit drafty to him. Instead of pointing that out, however, he signaled to the SOLDIER his plan, and did a countdown from three while he watched the patrol. At zero, he slipped inside the gate, falling to left and hiding behind a pillar. Zack followed closely behind him.

Now that they were in, Zack explored the western side of the complex. The building they were in front of attached to the tall wall circling the compound, allowing no entry to the back. Seeing Zack shake his head, Cloud frowned, then reassessed. If they couldn't go around the compound, and they couldn't over the compound, they they would have to go through the compound.

Zack watched out for Cloud while the blonde secured their path. It was kind of cool watching the younger boy ghost from hiding place to hiding place. At one point, he shadowed closely behind a patrolling soldier, close enough to reach out and touch, with the soldier being none the wiser. When the soldier turned, Cloud flowed around him, staying at his back, and then vanished down a back alley on the north side of the complex

The kid was good. What exactly had Yuri been teaching him?

Following suit, Zack made his way to the same alley, hoping that he at least looked half as cool. He knew that Tseng was watching from the cliff. It wouldn't do for SOLDIER to be shown up by the infantry, after all.

The back door to the warehouse was exactly where Tseng had said it would be, and Cloud was not in sight, so he entered the door.

Once the door was securely shut, Cloud exhaled. "Well, that was easy."

The First Class looked at him. "Tseng wasn't kidding. Good Job, Spikey!"

Used to it by now, Cloud didn't even bother to comment on the nick-name. Instead, however, he donned a Yuri-esque grin and said, "Well, what did you expect of the only disciple of the 'Azure Dragon of Shinra'?"

Zack's eyebrow twitched. The worse thing about it was that he couldn't even tell if the kid was being serious or not. "That's it," he stated with conviction. "I'm kidnapping you once you make SOLDIER."

Shocked by the statement, Cloud didn't know whether to laugh or be worried.

* * *

The warehouse was empty and only lightly patrolled. It was clear to Cloud, however, that the enemies here were on a completely different level than the bugs and birds of the mountains. The enemies were dressed like infantrymen, only garbed in red uniforms instead of the Shinra blue. That wasn't the only difference, though. It was also clear to Cloud that they had at least some level of enhancement. Fighting with them one-on-one was like sparing with Yuri, only these guys actually had no problem with killing him. As such, the infantryman had fallen back, allowing Zack to do most of the fighting while he watched the back and focused on defense.

And that was how it went until they reached the elevator at the bottom floor of the warehouse. Thanks to Zack, the fight was over quickly, but now, he frowned while staring down at the face of the red-coated figure that looked exactly like a graying Genesis. He'd locked up in shock and terrified awe when he'd first seen him. No words had been exchanged as Zack quickly dismantled the figure.

"It's a clone," the SOLDIER 1st assured him. "One of Hollander's creations." He looked at Cloud and the pensive look on his face. He couldn't blame the kid. "Having second thoughts about coming along?"

To his credit, the younger boy shook his head. "No, sir. Just wondering what would drive someone to play with other's lives like this."

At that, Zack heaved a deep sigh. "You and me, both."

* * *

"What's the meaning of this!" Professor Hollander could be heard clearly over the rumble of the descending elevator. "You need me, Genesis, remember that. If you get rid of me, Who's going to stop the degradation?" Cloud could hear the desperation in the reasoning of the scientist's voice.

Through the wire grating of the closed doors, they could see why the scientist sounded so agitated. Genesis, the real one, had Hollander at sword point, the tip of his rapier resting just below the scientist's chin. Both Cloud and Zack waited impatiently for the elevator doors to open. With a glance and a nod, Cloud received his unspoken orders. He secured his weapons and prepared to apprehend the scientist. Zack readied his sword.

"The Genova cells," Genesis toned ominously, as the doors finally opened.

Zack rushed forward, knocking the rogue SOLDIER's sword away from his captive with a swift downward swing. Using the opportunity, Hollander rushed to the elevator.

"Woah, there!" Cloud cautioned, grabbing the scientist by the arms. When Hollander struggled, he swept a foot behind the scientist's leg and tripped him, holding him against the floor with his arm twisted behind his back.

"Cloud! Good work!" Zack managed to comment while fending off the ex-Commander.

Genesis countered Zack's sword, looking for a way around him and to the scientist. The raven haired SOLDIER positioned himself protectively between the degrading man and his prey.

"But no one knows where the Genova cells are being kept! Not even Hojo knows. You'll never find it!" Hollander continued breathlessly from Cloud's hold.

Genesis stood tall. "Then I shall willingly accept my fate," he stated with finality, then ran a hand along the length of his blade. When he spoke again, his tone held a bitter promise, "but, I'll take the world with me!"

The Crimson Commander charged Zack again, intent blazing in his eyes. While the two SOLDIERs fought, Cloud pulled Hollander to his feet and navigated him out of the way of the fight.

"Get out of here, Cloud!" the First Class ordered. The infantryman didn't need to be told twice.

He pulled Hollander into the Elevator and hit the button. "Don't run," Cloud warned, "and I'll escort you to safety. The outside is still being patrolled by Genesis's troops."

"If Genesis leaves, they won't stay long," the scientist informed him.

The infantryman nodded. "Well, I'm not going to count on that," he replied.

The scientist seemed to follow directions for the time being, but Cloud could tell that he was looking for the first opportunity to run. Once they reached the ground floor landing again, Cloud did what he thought best. "Sorry, about this Professor," he prefaced before hitting the pressure point that Yuri had taught him, rendering the scientist unconscious. Mission objective complete. He lifted the scientist in a fireman's carry and made his way back to Tseng.

Oddly enough, Hollander had been right, and the troops from before were nowhere to be seen. Moving cautiously anyway, he carried the scientist out of the complex and was immediately spotted by the Turk, who came down to meet him.

"You retrieved Hollander," Tseng sounded mildly impressed. "Good work." The other infantryman took the unconscious scientist away from him, giving his shoulders a break. The turk pointed to a tunnel just past the complex. "Modeoheim is just through there. That is where we will rendezvous." That said, he began walking toward the tunnel.

"What about Zack?" Cloud asked, concerned. "We ran into Genesis. They were still fighting when we left."

The turk nodded. "He will catch up."

With a brief glance back towards the complex, Cloud exhaled with a resolute nod and then caught up with rest of the party, continuing on to Modeoheim.


	18. In the Name of Science (part 1)

_AN:_ _As always, I do not own anything._

* * *

 **[ μ ] - εγλ 0001 – May**

The blushed boughs of the Wutaian Maples danced upon the wind, resolutely holding their branches but for a single leaf, which fluttered towards the pond below, cast adrift. Godo Kisaragi, head of the Kisaragi clan and shadow warrior of the Hierarch, glanced pensively at the tranquil waves cast by the leaf into the still waters. The waves were small, but far reaching. Such distance for such a small leaf.

Yui, his niece, knelt before him with a missive in hand. "Godo-sama," she held it out to him. "We've received word from your daughter."

Leaning forward on his cane, he took the envelope. The seal was white wax, pressed with the image of a koi, the symbol of aspiration and perseverance, and the _Hakuryukai_ ; the White Dragon Society. It was the dream of the _Kage no Senshi_ of the Kisaragi clan, to one day swim up the steep waters and again bring Leviathan's justice to Wutai. To the Hierarchy: Loyalists. To Shinra: insurgents.

He had sent his own daughter into the viper's nest for the good of Wutai. It was probably justice that the only words he heard of her were through secret documents and covert missives. It had been over half a year since he last heard a personal word from her.

Sliding the seal free, he removed the document, a grimace set to his face.

 _Project G. Objective: Implant the cells of an Ancient into a human fetus to imbue said fetus with the Ancient's abilities._

He had seen the clones of the Crimson Commander with his own eyes on Wutai's soil, validating the seemingly impossible- and greatly disturbing- information within. There was speculation written in Wutaian attached to the image of the redacted outline of the project, indicating that the project name may refer to the SOLDIER Commander, Genesis, which was further supported by the image of the next document following. Though it was not seen in Wutai, intelligence did report that later clone warriors held signs of enhanced aging, or graying. The reports called it "degradation".

 _Report on the Soldier Degradation Phenomenon: The heightened abilities of SOLDIER members are maintained by a delicate balance of various genetic factors. A change in this balance could only be caused by a "leak" of genetic information, but this is not possible under normal circumstances. This phenomenon is unique to SOLDIER type G._

This related the event of cloning as a leakage of genetic information, meaning that only Genesis and his clones would be designated at SOLDIER type G. It somewhat soothed Godo's worry for his daughter to know that such a fate did not wait for her. It was cruel enough that the secrecy of her mission meant that her homeland now saw her- or her male persona as 'Yuri'- as a traitor.

Further injustice heaped upon his daughter, who he had tried to spare the stigma of being born into the cursed clan of Kisaragi. His daughter was strong willed, to be sure; a trait that she had gained honestly through her bloodline. To the Kisaragi, she was an outsider, raised outside the clan. But, to the rest of Wutai, she was still just as blackened by shadows. And in her efforts to prove herself to family and country, she had undone all he wrought to protect her.

 _The Ancients Project: Outline. It is now an undisputed fact that the life form excavated from the earth is indeed of the ancient race spoken of in legend. Furthermore, history records that these "ancients" channeled the power of this planet to tear the earth asunder._

It was already no secret that the militant company coveted the rich mako resources located beneath Leviathan's soil. For Shinra to gain such power would spell the doom of Wutai, though perhaps such had already come to pass. The projects outlined before him were at least 20 years in the making. Given such facts, one could see the monstrous strength of the Demon of Wutai, Sephiroth, through different eyes. Treaties and forced peace agreements would only go so far to maintain Wutai's sovereignty and freedom.

"Oji-sama," Yui asked, interrupting his thoughts, this time as a relative and not as a subordinate, "is there naught we can do for my wayward cousin?" She bowed her head in deference, but continued her thoughts. "The game she plays it too dangerous. Let her come home. Perhaps the temple…"

Godo held up a hand, silencing the young woman. "We must treat her as if she is dead to us. The temple has already excommunicated her. You are correct; it is a dangerous path she walks." He stood and walked to the edge of the pond, gazing over the waters with his hands resting on the cane in front of him. "But walk it, she must." He gazed up at the purple maple leaves shading them. "A tree, determined as it may be to grow, will not succeed without strength in its roots." Plucking a leave from the tree, he examined it. "Dense roots and hardy trunk would be just as a dead husk without the determination to live, to draw the water and grow." He handed the leaf to Yui. "As barren as the soil she has fallen into may be, my daughter now possesses both determination and strength. And so, too, shall Wutai."

The young woman accepted the leaf, eyes cast down. "Yes, Oji-sama." Godo did not worry about this. He knew that his niece understood their duty to country and the Hierarchy exceeded that of duty to clan and family. To his daughter, her service meant duty to both, regardless of the costs.

Such was the way of the Kisaragi.

Godo nodded, resolved to what must be done, and who was in the best position to do it. "The battle of steel is over. Now is the time to battle with our wits. Relay this message to my daughter: 'Ferret out the vipers within the Science department, and bring us their venom.'"

Yui nodded and rose, taking her leave. Taking her place was another man of their clan, clothed in black. He knelt before the _kage no senshi_. "Godo-sama. Elfe-san and Shears-san have returned." With a nod from his clan leader, the ninja vanished.

The veteran shinobi left the comfort of his garden. The shoji screens of the main meeting hall had already been pulled back, allowing the summer breeze to blow through. He sat upon the raised dais and regarded his visitors, a poised and polite woman with dark hair and green eyes and her rough cut second in command. He greeted the Avalanche leader. "Elfe-san. It has been several months since last we met. I trust your travels have been fruitful."

"Depends," the man in the camouflage bandanna, Shears, answered bitterly. "We failed to assassinate that damn President, fuckin' got our asses handed to us trying to take over the cannon, and lost a lot of damn good men in the process."

The brunette woman with the piercing blue eyes nodded. "Yes, those things did unfortunately happen, but I believe we garnered a victory in Costa del Sol. We managed to free a great number of men 'recruited' for Shinra's SOLDIER program."

Godo leaned back, stroking his beard in thought. "So pyrrhic victories in this war of attrition." He regarded his guests with an appraising eye. "And what need do you have in Wutai?"

"Simply a place of rest to gather and plan our next steps, Godo-sama," the Avalanche leader replied respectfully.

"So be it," the clan leader approved with a nod to an awaiting retainer, who bowed and slipped out to ready the guest rooms. Thinking to the documents sent by his daughter, he inquired, "Will your intelligence officer, Fuhito, be joining you, by any chance?"

"Nah, probably not for a few months," the man answered for his leader, a sour look on his face. "That mad bastard had a wild hair to go chase elsewhere."

"Shears!" Elfe reprimanded, to which he just gave a nonchalant shrug. It appeared to the Wutaian that there was no love lost between the two male leaders of Avalanche. Godo returned his attention to the woman when she addressed him. "What business do you have with him?"

"Curiosity," the older man replied simply. Allies Avalanche may be, but ninja did not become old by telling all they knew.

"I see," the woman affirmed. "Then, if you don't mind sating some curiosity of my own…" Godo nodded. A question sometimes revealed more about the questioner than the answers they begged. "In April, during the Costa del Sol mission, I met a SOLDIER by the name of Yuri Kisaragi. Tell me, is he a relative of yours?"

Godo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. These were dangerous waters to tread, even amongst allies. "He was my only son. I assume he is still alive, then." He pulled a pipe and a roll of tobacco from his sash. He stuff and lit the pipe, taking a long drag from it before he continued. "As a traitor to our country, by our laws, he is dead to us now."

Elfe nodded. "I see," she stated again, moving to leave, followed by Shears. She paused halfway towards the door, and added. "I will not say he fought honorably, Godo-sama, but…" she turned and finished her statement as she walked out the door, "I will say he was rather… interesting."

Godo heard Shears snort some sort of remark, and then he was alone with his pipe and his thoughts.

* * *

 ** _Mission Details:_**

 ** _It has been determined that the monsters in Midgar are escaped examples from Hojo Laboratories._**

 ** _We must keep this information confidential._**

 ** _Go to the target zone and eliminate all monsters._**

"What the heck! More escaped monsters?" Yuri moaned. It was the hottest day of the year so far, in the middle of a dry spell, and as luck would have it, the two of them were standing in full armor in the middle of the wasteland surrounding Midgar.

Neils chuckled. "Them's the breaks," he qualified, wiping a bead of sweat off his jaw. "With Zack on convalescent leave and SOLDIER being short staffed, someone's gotta keep things clean." He hefted his sword on top of his shoulder and stood next to his Wutaian friend, facing off against the beasts. "At least we won't be bored."

Yuri grinned madly. "You got that right." Neils watched as his friend counted heads. "Okay, so here's the plan. I'll take the flying eye things, since those take a bit of finesse, which I have loads of…" Niels rolled his eyes, not that Yuri could see, "… You take the bird things and roast 'em with fire, and then we'll double team the bomb monsters before they explode."

Neils frowned. "I dunno. Maybe we should take down the bombs first, then split up for the eyes and the birds." It made sense to him. Take care of the biggest threat first.

Yuri shook his head. "That won't do, because once we start beating on a bomb, we gotta finish it off quick, or else it will explode and it's game over. If we have to defend against the other beasties at the same time, we might not be fast enough."

With a chuckle, the Icelander goaded, "What, the unflappable Yuri is too slow?"

As expected, the Wutaian SOLDIER huffed. "Shut up, Frosty. Unflappable is not the same thing as inflammable. A good ninja always plays to his strengths." With that, he gave Neils a grin that sent a shiver down his spine. Good things never happened when Yuri grinned like that. "Bet I can beat mine first!" And then he was off.

Niels caught on quickly and raced off for his set of monsters, picking them out with his best fire spells. It was always like this when he went on missions with Yuri. There was always some kind of contest. At least the Wutaian kept things interesting.

To be honest, things had been too quiet around the Shinra building lately. With Genesis and Angeal both killed in action last month, it was like the life had been sucked out of SOLDIER. Zack Fair, the new 1st Class, had been on leave ever since the Modeoheim mission, as well. Berrick had been given an extended assignment at the up and coming Corel Reactor, and missions had been slow in the post-war slump.

Not that he was going to tell Yuri, but he almost wanted to find whoever was releasing the monsters and shake their hand. The younger SOLDIER's restlessness was going to be the death of him. Cloud, the guy who went infantry after the SOLDIER exams who had inexplicably become the Wutaian's 'protege', was also gone, stationed over in Junon. Never before had he appreciated how much the blonde boy kept the overactive ninja-SOLDIER hybrid occupied. If he ever saw him again, he was going to take the chocobo-head out for virgin margaritas.

He had two more birds to go, both of whom seemed to be swarming together. He took a quick stock and saw that Yuri was on his last flying eyeball thing. That one seemed a bit larger than all other others, and perhaps a bit more on the darker yellow side. "Crap," he said to himself. If Yuri won, he'd be insufferable for the rest of the day.

Turning to his last two birds, Neils readied the best fire spell he had: Firaga. It was his pride and joy, the pinnacle of his forays into materia fusion. The only reason he didn't sling it around like there was no tomorrow was because of the cost it took out on his energy. But he was determined not to lose this time. He wound up, cast, and then watched with pride as the three balls of fire sought out the two birds, taking them out instantly. He whistled and dusted off his hands while he walked calmly over to Yuri, who was still having trouble with his eye monster. A quick glance verified that the bomb was still far enough away not to bother them.

"I'm done, Yuri. What do I win?" he asked the flustered 3rd Class.

Yuri huffed, catching the large shuriken that had replaced both his throwing sickle and hardedge. "The room all to yourself if you don't help me out!" he snapped.

As tempting as that was, Niels redrew his sword and parried the creature as it swooped back down on his roommate. With a quick glance, he could see the energy dancing behind Yuri's purple mako eyes. "You're riding a limit break. Why don't you just use it?" he asked, defending while the Wutaian SOLDIER readied another throw.

"I can't," was his growled reply.

The flying eye turned its focus on him. "What do you mean, 'you can't'?" he asked as he performed a dodge roll to evade the attack.

Yuri let the shuriken fly, clipping the eye in the wing. It didn't hobble the creature as much as he'd hoped. "I just can't! It looked at me and now… I can't!"

"…" was Neils reply.

"…" Yuri answered back.

"… Well, okay then," Neils relented. He looked up at the eye, or at least the direction of the eye, and brainstormed. Suddenly, it dawned on him. "Yuri! Move him so that his back is to the sun!"

He did like Niels asked without question, which mildly shocked him. Once they were both at the right angle, Niels took his sword and held it in front of him, catching the sunlight.

Once it dawned on Yuri what the Icelander was doing, he readied his attack. The reflected sunlight from the sword blinded the Ahriman. It shrieked and closed its eye, wrapping its wings around itself. It fell and rolled on the ground in agony, allowing the two SOLDIERs to initiate a coup de grâce.

Yuri sank to the ground with a huff as the enemy dissolved, returning to the planet. "Fine. You win," he said breathlessly, reluctantly holding out a circle of metal. Niels grabbed it, and after a brief tug of war, the Wutaian let go.

"What's this?" Niels asked, accepting his prize. It was a bangle with four materia slots, one of which was filled with a drain materia.

"Eh," Yuri shrugged. "I found it over in those rocks over there." He grinned and stood up, patting his companion on the back. "To the victor, the spoils, right Ice-man?" He stretched and did a couple of squats. "Ready to take down those bombs?"

Niels grinned. "I am. Are you?"

"Race you!" And the Wutaian was off.

* * *

In the depths of the windowless data room, it was impossible for Kunsel to tell just how late in the day it was. It was lit dimly with the electronic glow of computer screens and the spare fluorescent runner lining the edge of the walls and illuminating name plates. He lurked the shelves between topics on urban development and geology of Gaia, researching the advancements in mako technology. From accounts given by those who had seen Hollander's secret research areas, it was likely that there was a connection of some sort between his experiments and uses of the planet's lifeblood. He turned the corner to sit under a light and stopped abruptly.

"General!" Kunsel exclaimed with a hasty salute, shocked.

Sephiroth calmly waved him off. "At ease."

The 2nd Class SOLDIER relaxed, nodded at his superior officer, and continued on his way, only to be stopped by the First again. " _A Treatise on the Theoretical Uses of Natural Materia_. That is fairly heavy reading, corporal."

The helmeted SOLDIER looked down at the book and then back at the General. "I'm doing research. To help a friend," he clarified. He debated asking his next question, but then figured that nothing ventured was nothing gained. "What about yourself, General?"

Sephiroth smiled. "The same. Research to help a friend."

* * *

Two hours later, Kunsel broke away from the data room, dejected. Working with Sephiroth, he'd managed to learn a bit more about the Science Department's dealings, but it was nowhere near as informative as he had hoped it would be. With a deep sigh, he pulled out his PHS and sent a message to Zack. At least he was able to solve one mystery.

" _Sephiroth's whereabouts_

 _You were complaining about not being able to get in touch with Sephiroth, but he's in the data room. It looks like he's going through all the research papers on a series of experiments called "Project G," as well as other experiments conducted around the same time. But Project G took place over 20 years ago, and Hollander had taken some of that data with him. I even hear that the really important data isn't even here, but hidden away in some other place. I don't know if anyone is ever going to understand the full scope of those experiments._

 _-Kunsel"_

The next thing he did was check his mission roster. He hadn't exactly expected something to be there, but there was. "Find the leak in the science department, huh?" he said to himself. The helmed 2nd rubbed his chin as he pondered. Work must be lagging if they were now assigning Turk work to SOLDIER. It suited him fine, though, and he knew just the person to ask for back up.

* * *

Yuri and Niels arrived back at the Shinra building just after dusk.

"I'm going to go hit the showers," Yuri said, sniffing himself and then making a face. "I call dibs."

Niels didn't even bother to try a sniff test. He knew he was rancid. He also knew that his roommate was a bathroom primadonna. He didn't know what the kid did in the bathroom to take so long… and really didn't want to know either. With a shrug, he let him have it. "Whatever," he answered to Yuri's demands. "I'll just use the showers on the training hall."

Yuri grinned, throwing a peace sign in his direction before marching off to the elevators that went to the SOLDIER dorms. Niels shook his head at the Wutaian's antics. It was like the kid was never going to grow up. Heck, he was already the shortest member of SOLDIER to date…

His feet took him to the opposing set of elevators and pushed the button. While he waited, his thoughts lingered a little too hard on his roommates lack of height. All the other guys from their group were at least six inches taller than him, if not more. He wondered if it was because Yuri was Wutaian…

The elevator bell dinged, and Kunsel stepped out. He recognized the 3rd Class SOLDIER in front of him and nodded in greeting. "Niels."

Niels nodded back. "Sir."

The helmed 2nd smiled. "It's just 'Kunsel', Niels. Don't want to keep you, but where's Yuri?"

He pointed to the opposing elevators. "SOLDIER dorms. You know the room, right?" he answered as he got on the elevator.

"Thanks," Kunsel replied with an informal salute as the elevator doors closed.

As he made his way up to the 3rd Class SOLDIER dorms, his thoughts kept straying, not to the SOLDIER Yuri, but the kunoichi- Yuffie- hidden within. She was an enigma to him. At first, he had agreed to keep her secret because he was curious. It would probably be the death of him one day, but he needed to know the truth. She seemed like a lone agent, trying to work the system to make things better for her country, but if she wasn't, if she actually was a danger to the people of Midgar, he'd find out better with her close. That was how it started, anyway. Over the past few months, he'd come to realize that she was really just a free spirit shackled down by feelings of duty, with no real plan other than to go with the flow.

He'd seen her boast with confidence as if she believed every word she said, and then second guess every one of her choices when she thought no one was watching.

She was childishly playing pranks one moment, and in the next defending her mission with deadly seriousness.

She hated Shinra to the point of loathing, but she seemed to genuinely care or several of its employees, including an infantryman and her SOLDIER roommate.

She was coarse, brazen, and stubborn, but he'd seen her blushing and speechless.

She was boyish, but she had the cutest yelp.

She was SOLDIER. She was kunoichi.

Yuri had paperwork, proof of existence, lineage. Yuffie was a ghost.

In short, she was a mess of contradictions, and the deeper he dug, the less he knew. He was no closer to knowing to the real Yuffie as he had been the first day he met her. And he wanted to get closer.

It had been over two weeks since he'd last talked to her in more than just passing. It was partly on purpose -distancing himself from the problem to get a better perspective- but it had also been way too easy to not cross paths with her. If it hadn't been for knowing more than he should about the mission schedule, he'd think she was avoiding him. He had in a way tricked her into a date, but the lack of retribution seemed to indicate that she hadn't minded.

That, in itself, made him wonder what she thought about him, and he was almost concerned how much he cared.

If there was anything he was an expert on, it was himself. He always did love a good mystery.

With a ding, the doors opened. It had once been normal to see at least ten to fifteen SOLDIERs enjoying some down time in the common room at any given town, but today, there was only one person, playing a game of solitaire. It wasn't just the 3rd Class dorms. All the SOLDIER halls were so disturbingly empty now-a-days. It was a surprise that anyone had to share a room at all, like in Yuri and Niels' case. He suspected that it was just too much trouble to try to move to a different room, especially with promotion right around the corner, as the pair of them hoped. Promotion brought about new -and nicer- rooms. With a nod to the one other living soul lurking in the common area, he made his way down the halls to Yuri and Niels' room.

He let himself in, then almost instantly wished he had an audio recorder of some sort. The shower was running, and over the sound of the shower, Yuffie was singing. Badly. He sat down on the bed that he assumed was hers by the Spiral Shuriken hanging on the wall mount and listened for several moments, trying to figure out what song she was butchering. He was glad that she had enjoyed the replacement he'd given her for the weapon she'd surrendered to him. He actually still had it tucked safely away in his room. He had a feeling that the weapon meant more to her than she had let on, so he'd asked, and Director Lazard had let him keep it. One day he'd return it, but not yet.

The shower stopped, and so did the singing. Determining the song was now a lost cause, in the end he decided that it must have been one she made up.

The 2nd Class SOLDIER battled with himself for a moment, debating over whether or not to leave for a few moments, and then come back. He dismissed the idea. He wanted to talk to her without any chance of interruption as soon as possible, and her room was probably one of the safest places. If there was one thing that he could be sure of, it was that the cagey kunoichi made a regular habit of sweeping for bugs. After several minutes, the bathroom door opened.

The baggy SOLDIER pants and chest bandage look suited her. With her hair completely mussed from drying it with a towel, the terminally curious SOLDIER knew that he'd be thinking about this for longer than he should.

With a toothbrush hanging out of her mouth, Yuffie paused and glared at him for just a moment. Then, calm as can be, she spoke. "Pervert." Then she continued to brush her teeth. "How'd you get in here?" she asked with a mouth full of foam.

"I opened the door," he answered glibly.

She rinsed and spit into the sink. "I locked the door."

He shrugged. "Never stopped you before, why should it stop me?"

She thought about that for a moment, and then conceded. "Kay, fine. You could at least have let me know you were here."

He grinned. "I was curious."

She narrowed her eyes at him and snatched up her sleeveless turtleneck. "Pervert." She repeated, pulling it on. He secretly lamented the loss.

"I meant about the song you were singing. I couldn't figure out what it was."

She raised a haughty eyebrow. "Yeah, right." She pointed an accusatory finger at his face. "Admit it, you just wanted to catch a peek of the amazingly sexy Yuri Kisaragi!"

The corner of his lips quirked upwards. He was going to neither confirm nor deny. "So, what song were you singing?"

Yuffie huffed, turning back to the bathroom to hang up her towel. She then went about gathering up the rest of her uniform. "Like I'm gonna tell you," she declined to answer.

Kunsel sighed dejectedly. "Fine. I guess I can add one more to the list of mysteries I may never solve." He waited a moment, just in case she caved and told him what song it was. Failing that, he went ahead and addressed the topic that he had actually come to discuss. "I actually do have a reason to be here. Have you heard about the recent monster outbreaks in Midgar and Kalm?"

She huffed. "Heard about em? Hell, I've been moping them up off and on for weeks now." She pulled on her boots and tied the laces. "Got a mission today that said they were escaped projects. Real hush-hush."

The 3rd Class nodded. "That sounds about right. But think about it. Escaped projects? Could all those monsters really make it through this building's security by themselves?" He wanted to see if she'd make the same connection he did.

Understanding dawned on the kunoichi-turned-SOLDIER's face. "A saboteur." Her shock turned to something resembling envy. "Damn, why didn't I think of that?"

"Yuffie…" Kunsel admonished. The last thing he needed was her actively taking part in company sabotage. Aggressively active Wutai natives didn't stay alive very long in Midgar.

She held up her hands. "I'm kidding! … Kind of. I wouldn't release 'em in populated areas or anything." He crossed his arms. "And call me 'Yuri'. It really is my legal name, now." She turned to find her helmet. "Besides, it makes my skin crawl every time you say my name like that."

The words themselves might have indicated that was a bad thing, but the slight darkening of her cheeks and nearly undetectable tremble in her voice hinted that maybe it wasn't. Kunsel couldn't help but hope that maybe he wasn't the only one affected by their strange relationship.

He removed his own helmet and set it down next to hers, stopping her from picking it up. Instead, he lifted her chin and turned her face towards him, standing perhaps a little too close. "Yuffie, I have a question for you," he asked in a low, almost teasing voice. Gazing into her slightly shocked and somewhat luminescent violet eyes, he amended, "Okay, two questions."

She swallowed, but didn't move, the pink on her cheeks spreading. "Yeah?"

"First, will be my mission partner and help me find the saboteur?" He smirked, leaning a bit closer to her and teased, "I mean, you are the best ninja SOLDIER has ever seen, after all."

The burst of red that spread across her cheeks was very endearing. She smacked his hand away from her chin and took a step back. "I…idiot! You could have just asked… gawd…" She put her hands on her hips and huffed. "I mean, sure. You obviously need my supreme talent." The look she gave him was leery. "You really are a pervert, aren't you."

Kunsel laughed and shook his head. "Not really, but I find myself enjoying a little bit of sweet revenge. I'm still finding aluminum foil in the oddest of places, you know."

The kunoichi huffed, then stated earnestly, "I don't think I like you anymore."

"Too bad." The 2nd's cerulean eyes danced with amusement. "Second question," and this time he waved a finger in front of her face. "Why are you still riding a limit break?"

Her angry blush returned. "I must be cursed," she replied dourly. "It's the Kisaragi curse, come to haunt me."

Much to her chagrin, the 2nd Class SOLDIER chuckled. "Yes, I think you are. Have you tried a remedy or esuna yet?"

The blank look that she gave him told him that not only had she not tried it, but she was mortified that it was that easy and she hadn't tried it.

He with a low chuckle, Kunsel shook his head, and wondered what he was going to do with her.

* * *

After securing a remedy from the store, Yuri, Kunsel, and Niels met up for dinner in the cafeteria, clean, healthy, and uncursed. They ate and talked about little things. After the meal, Yuri and Kunsel excused themselves and began their investigation, starting with research into the comings and goings of the various employees of the Science Department. Given the general state of secrecy surrounding the Department on any given day, their searches returned less than fruitful. With a promise to meet again the next day, they went their separate ways.

Yuffie now sat in the deserted common room of the SOLDIER dorms, staring at the screen of her PHS. "Ferret out the vipers, huh?" she said to no one, with a huff. "Cryptic as always, old man." She put the device away and stared out the wide windows overlooking the city of Midgar. "Still, it's funny how things work out…" _…isn't it, Otou-san?_

* * *

AN: Chapter... so... long... Sad thing is I need at LEAST another 4k words just to finish this plot point.


	19. In the Name of Science (part 2)

_AN: The characters and plot-lines of this story are not within my control unless otherwise stated by fair-use policy. I profit from nothing, unless kudos count._

 _SPEAKING OF: I get the warm-fuzzies just seeing the number of reads, but those of you who review truly make my day. :) I'm always looking for ways to improve both this story and my writing, so all feedback, the positive and the constructively critical, are deeply appreciated. Thank you!_

 _I broke my word record on this chapter in editing. After hitting over 6k and still having half a document to edit, I decided to break this chapter in two. Expect the next update within the next few days!_

* * *

The sixty-first floor of the shinra building was probably the most useless one as far as Yuri could figure. It almost seemed like a glorified waiting room for the employees of shinra, since all it contained were various tables and benches. It also held one of the only trees in all of Midgar.

Useless but pretty, even if the tree was either mako enhanced or fake. So, Yuri and Kunsel made a use out of it, as their chosen stake-out location. This spot was ideal for a few reasons. First, all Shinra employees above the 60th floor had to pass through here, including the science department employees. Second, it would not be too odd to see a random SOLDIER or two lurking near the tree. And lastly, it was relatively uninhabited, save for the odd employee or two ducking out for a break.

Yuri was currently by herself, a laptop sitting across her knees, helmet off so that she could use the earbuds to listen in. She had tapped into several security cameras, one of which she was now monitoring through the program on Kunsel's computer. To the casual onlooker, it probably looked like she was watching the most boring drama in the world.

"Wow… this guy's never going to get a date…" she complained to no one in particular. So far, the only thing even remotely interesting was overhearing one of the science lackey's talk about a strange growth on his who-ha. She didn't even know what a who-ha was, and she was absolutely certain she didn't want to know, but if someone didn't cause some real mischief within the next hour, she was going to personally go down there and show them how it was done. "Come on, do something already!" she complained, shaking the computer as if that would help anything.

Her current video feed was positioned right in the view of the specimen research lab elevator. Kunsel had managed to get ahold of, by way of some resource or another, the list schedule of approved creature imports. Some guy in his information network with connections to the science department had hinted that each of the other monster releases had coincided with a day the science lab received new creatures. On those days, use of the codes used to unlock the specimen elevators would not have registered as out of the ordinary. Thanks to that information, she and Kunsel were now taking turns watching the elevator and cross referencing each trade off with the list.

She had been on watch for a half an hour. She felt like her awesome ninja skills were going to waste sitting here, staring at barrels of bunnies and casks of cactuars being carted around the Lair of Despair, which was what she had renamed Hojo's specimen laboratory as of twenty minutes ago. The SOLDIER 3rd had no idea what Hojo could possibly be doing with all these creatures, but a part of her was sympathetic to the perpetrator. How could anyone experiment on something so cu… "Woah. I didn't know bunnies could DO that. I hope he had good health insurance…"

She marked "Jumping" off the list. Whoever had named that particular species of rabbit had no imagination, Yuri complained to herself.

The lab lackey, with his strange growth and mangled finger, was led off-screen somewhere, probably for medical attention, and the last batch of specimen was put away. She was once again, staring at an elevator doing absolutely nothing. She blew, loudly vibrating her lips together in ultimate boredom.

Minutes ticked away, slowly taking her will to live with them. Then, as if by magic, a cup of hot, sweet, slightly cinnamon smelling goodness occluded her vision. She looked at the hand attached to it, and followed it up to an arm, bending backwards to see that the arm was attached to Kunsel. She gave him an upside-down smile, and then took the cup. "My friend! I knew you'd come for me…" she crooned into the cup. It was so hard to find a good cup of tea in Midgar, but the Banoran cider sold in the employee lounge wasn't a bad substitute.

The 2nd Class moved to sit next to her on the bench. "Hm, such a warm welcome," he replied happily, taking the laptop from her while balancing his own cup in this other hand.

She stuck a tongue out at him, leaning in so that the earbuds weren't pulled out. Kunsel wouldn't wear them, after all. That would have required taking off his helmet. He was such a baby about that sometimes. "Hush, you. I was talking to the cider." She sniffed the rich aroma of the beverage and sighed. "That's right, my precious. Make me feel better like only you can."

From what Yuri could see, which would be about from the nose down, Kunsel looked betrayed, his jaw slacked and lips set into a slightly open, downward pout. "Well. Nice to know where I stand in your affections," he sniffed with mock-sadness. She gave a half smirk that was completely obstructed from view by the styrofoam cup. "Anything interesting happen while I was gone?"

Yuri shook her head. "Nothing that wasn't supposed to. One of the lab techs might need a rabies shot and a growth removal, and I might need about two years of therapy just to deal with the special kind of torture this was, but that's about it."

For a moment, Kunsel looked at her as if he were about to ask, but then thought better of it. Instead, he shook his head and watched the screen, taking a sip from his own coffee. Black, she noted from the bitter smell. How utterly boring, and totally gross. He was only half Wutaian, though, and probably hadn't grown up with the wonders that was jasmine tea. The poor thing probably didn't know any better.

They sat like that in awkward silence for a few minutes, with Yuri listening in to the sounds of uncomfortable silence. She sipped her fancy apple juice and pretended not to notice that she was sitting a little too close to the 2nd Class than was comfortable. This was the first real "mission" type thing that she had done with Kunsel, and she had been slightly worried that it was going to be awkward. Despite the… playful… way that he had asked for her help, he had been perfectly professional with her the entire time that they'd been on the job. It was both a relief and a let-down.

Her mind wandered, and she blamed it entirely on being forced to sit in one place for too long. Otherwise she would not have spent the next five minutes wondering what kind of soap her fellow SOLDIER used. Its smell was woodsy, but clean. Kinda like one would smell after getting out of that one natural spring in Wutai that she liked to sneak off to as a young kunoichi-in-self-training. It was a smell that she could roll around in and be happy as a clam.

When she realized she was slightly drooling and probably staring off into space, she forced herself to refocus on the task at hand.

She didn't have time to reminisce on her days skinny dipping in the springs of Wutai. This was the perfect opportunity to get some dirt on the science department. She had gotten lucky with this mission and wasn't afraid to admit it. It had given her the opportunity to sneak unseen around the most secretive department in the world, planting bugs all over the place without raising Turk suspicion, and look good doing it. Not that anyone actually saw her looking good. Would have defeated the purpose. In fact, that was probably the main reason why Kunsel had needed her: to get in, plant the bugs and taps, and then get out without being seen. Grade A ninja work at its finest. She had done her part perfectly, and even took a little extra time to snoop around a bit, but had unfortunately not found out anything pertinent to her mission.

Now, she just seemed to be keeping Kunsel company and being a pair of substitute ears. _Borrrrring._

"… _-nished up here. All the specimens are secured. Want me to go ahead and lock up? …_ " Yuri heard over the earbud. She further invaded Kunsel's personal space to see what was on the screen. There was only one lab tech, and he seemed to be talking over a PHS. He went to the terminal and starting pressing buttons too fast for her to memorize. "… _yeah, I changed the pass code, just like you asked. … … … I don't know about that. All I know is that if we lose another set of specimen's, the Professor is going to start using us instead_." The lab tech laughed, but it seemed forced, and more than a little nervous. " _No, I haven_ …" The tech walked away out of reach of both camera and microphone. If their guy was going to make a move, he'd be doing it soon.

Kunsel looked her way as she removed the ear buds. "I take it that was our cue?"

Yuri nodded and stood, stretching her arms high, and then twisting from side to side. "About time. Much longer and my butt was going to petrify into the bench. I'm going to go for a walk."

"Have fun. Bring me back a souvenir," Kunsel replied knowingly.

She gave him a sloppy salute and a smirk. "Just sit back and watch a pro at work," she bragged, then vanished down the hall in true ninja style.

She made her way, not to the science floor, but to the one directly below it.

The 66th floor was an administrative floor, located directly below the science labs on the 67th floor. It held a meeting room, a records room, and a few administrative offices. At this time of day, however, there weren't many people milling the halls. And this floor also had a bathroom with loose ceiling tiles, which was the bread and butter for sneaky-sneaky types like her. That was her destination.

One rule of being a ninja: Know where all the exits are at all times. Especially the unconventional ones.

It wasn't hard to find the correct tile and remove it, slipping up into the duct work that ran through the building. In fact, it was ridiculous how comfortable it was to navigate. For a lithe and petite ninja such as herself, this was child's play, even in full SOLDIER gear, sans helmet. She followed the vent network to an access hatch that opened into a narrow vertical shaft equipped with metal ladder rungs. Cables of all sorts ran vertically along the edges of the circular opening. Carefully extracting herself from the vents, she mounted the ladder and began to climb up. Looking down, it seemed to go into forever. She climbed the rungs to the 67th floor access hatch and carefully pulled a key on a necklace out from under her shirt. The day she had lifted it from that maintenance guy during the prank war had been one of the most inspired days of her life. She knew it would come in handy again.

She was please that the metal hatch hadn't even squeaked so much as a peep when she swung it open. It was still as well oiled as the last time she had come to lay all the taps and bugs. She stepped out, closed and re-locked the hatch. It wouldn't do well to tip anyone off as to her entry methods, and if all went well, she'd be going out the front door when she left.

The hatch emptied out onto an observation deck of sorts, made of metal grating that jutted out over stacks of boxes, cages, and other storage. It overlooked the warehouse portion of the science labs, and wrapped all the way around the room to the specimen elevator. She was alone for now, so she turned to the camera that she knew Kunsel was watching through, threw a peace sign and stuck out her tongue at him, and then jumped up, pulling herself into the rafters. And there, she waited.

Time ticked on. Fifteen minutes went by, then thirty. After forty five minutes, she was beginning to question her life choices when the door to the science lab snaked open. A man walked in, obviously one of the researchers judging from the pristine white lab coat that he was wearing. He wasn't a spring chicken, but he wasn't quite old enough to be going gray either.

She watched him, waiting for the proof that this was the guy. His eyes snaked around the storage room, peeking around boxes and checking the specimen containment cages. His entire bearing was suspect. All of that in itself was allowed, but then he slipped on a mask and started sedating the various creatures with a gas of some sort. Definitely suspicious but not proof that he was the guy. There could have been any number of nefarious reasons why a scientist would suddenly sedate a slew of unsuspecting subjects.

He then moved to the control panel, unlocked it with the code, and began to move the specimens to the elevator.

 _Oh, looky_ , she thought to herself with a smarmy smile, _an unauthorized specimen export_. She acrobatically fell to the ground behind the scientist, landing in a crouch. "You've been a naughty boy, professor," she said with a reprimanding tone.

The researcher jumped and spun, leaning back against the control panel to get as far away from the SOLDIER as possible. "What are you doing here?" the researcher demanded, impressively keeping the panic out of his voice.

Yuri thumbed her nose. "Oh, just taking you into custody for releasing monsters with the intention to sic 'em on Midgar." She blocked off the man's escape. There wasn't anywhere he could go without going through her, and she knew that Kunsel was on his way now that she'd made contact. "So, my question is, before I take you in, why on Gaia did _you_ do it?"

The researcher picked up on her emphasis of the "you". It had made her sound like it wasn't the act itself that confused her, but rather the culprit. Stuck between a SOLDIER and a hard place, he answered. "Have you ever heard of the term "Cetra"?"

She shook her head. "Can't say I have, egg head. Enlighten me. I got time."

The researcher shook his head disdainfully. "The Cetra will return to the Promised Land. A land that promises supreme happiness. It is said that the Promised Land is fertile with an overabundance of mako energy. So if the Promised Land becomes ours, we would have all the energy we needed, without mako reactors. The Cetra are thought to know the location of this wonderful Promised Land."

The SOLDIER wrinkled her nose. "You lost me. What does this obvious fairy tale have to do with you releasing monsters?"

The researcher fumed. "Everything! It has everything to do with it! The science department has invested vast amounts of money to study this "fairy tale". Even if it means making the most inhuman sacrifices. Shinra in an entity that deserves to perish." The look in his eye had grown manic. "Look at you people in SOLDIER. Science puppets, all of you. Why do you even continue to risk your lives for such a corrupt company? I would find it unbearable."

Yuri felt her own anger rising, the researcher's words hitting a cord within her. "Hey! I am not a puppet!" she declared vehemently.

"Oh?" the researcher continued. "Then why are you here?"

She blinked. What could she say that didn't amount to "I'm here because I was told to be"? One thing she was very sure of, though. She wasn't _Shinra's_ puppet. She clenched her jaw, and resisted the urge to deal the desk jockey physical damage.

He scoffed. "You are probably the biggest puppet of all."

Not knowing how to respond to that, she fell back on her default reaction: cocky and blusterous. "Whatever, Pencil-neck. I keep people safe with my job. Don't like things? Go on strike, start a personal rebellion, whatever, but don't hurt innocent people. I mean, how stupid can you get?"

The researcher turned red in the face. "All of Midgar and the sheep within it are just as guilty! Profiting from the sacrifice of others without question..."

"Shut up, old man!" Yuri yelled, cutting his rant short. "You don't know the first thing about real humans, do you. Normal people just want to live. They don't sweat the details unless you shove it in their faces." And this was speaking from direct experience on both sides of the fence.

To his credit, the researcher seemed to be reflecting. Well, good, she thought. Probably too late, but maybe there was hope for him yet.

The standoff didn't last long. Soon, the welcome sound of three pairs of SOLDIER boots echoed along the metal floors. Yuri nodded to the superior officer, stepping aside for the trio.

"Professor, I'm taking you into custody," Kunsel informed the researcher. The two 3rd Class SOLDIERs who had accompanied him grabbed the man by an arm each.

The researcher went reservedly, but paused and gave Yuri a pointed look. "Keep this in mind. We even sacrificed the last surviving Cetra in the conquest for power, a sin for which we could destroy Midgar twice and never atone for. What privilege do you think you'd have that makes you any different?" With that said, he walked off with the two 3rd Classes.

Kunsel stared after him with a pensive look on his face. "He was the number two guy in the science department after Professor Hojo," the SOLDIER 2nd shook his head. "I don't get it. He was always a well-respected member of the department."

Yuri frowned, and cocked her head to the side as she thought. "I didn't care much for him, to be honest. Attacking Shinra is one thing, but Midgar is full of innocent people." She didn't really like his parting words either. It definitely made for a cautionary tale, and one that she would heed.

* * *

It was not often that Hojo ventured from his personal workspace on the 68th floor, but today marked the arrival of his new batch of biological specimens. The professor was no fool, and only a fool could have neglected to notice the correlation between batch arrivals and laboratory theft.

He was a busy man. If SOLDIER had failed to fulfill his commission, he would be even busier with rearranging the genomes of the ignorant fools.

It was that curiosity to see if he would have a new project that brought him to the 67th floor lab spaces. His interest was further peaked when he watched his most senior assistant being forcibly marched away by two grunts.

A slow, satisfied smirk emerged across his austere face. Another hypothesis proven correct. The man had been sniveling incessantly about ethics and morality for years now. Such tripe had no place in the pursuit of knowledge.

He really should put in a commendation for the SOLDIER who aided his department in becoming that one step closer to perfection.

Now aware that the job had been done, he clasped his hands behind his back and shuffled towards the containment units. It would not do for his precious specimens to come to harm before their time.

He was delightfully shocked when the door slid open before him and ejected his current favorite specimen.

"Oh? What have we here?" the head scientist of the Shinra Science Department chuckled, encountering the Subject Y and some nameless 2nd Class on their way to the elevators. The male was inconsequential and was therefore summarily dismissed. Subject Y, however, shifted slightly under his scrutiny.

Her growth within the SOLDIER program had been adequate, and the comparative data of her performance when measured against the average statistics for males of the same tenure within the program was exemplary. Overall, he was pleased with the progress made by Subject Y. Had it been under wartime conditions, he theorized she would have been promoted to 2nd Class by now. As it was, this time frame suited his purposes.

Probably sensing that he was expecting such from her, Subject Y saluted, then stood at loose attention. "SOLDIER 3rd Class, Yuri Kiseragi. We were just taking out some trash, sir."

His chuckle was grating and dry. "I see, I see." The glint in his eye as he regarded his most prized specimen elicited an interesting reaction in the male, who stirred uncomfortably. Hojo's keen eye noticed the near imperceptible shift towards the female. Whether the action was evoked protectively or out of some show of solidarity or simply to attract attention, the scientist was unsure. However, it may have some significance within the scope of Subject Y's future development and warranted closer inquiry. "Well, carry on then. I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon." He nodded with a chuckle and began to walk away. "Yes, soon enough."

He made quick work of viewing his new specimens, then called a lab assistant to clean up the mess before withdrawing back to his private lab space, barking orders as he went. "Fetch the files on Projects Y, G, and S. Have then on my desk in the next five minutes." Turning to another assistant, "Have samples of the L-strain J-cells, a culture of cells from Subject Y, and 100 milliliters of distilled mako prepped in lab 6." Almost as an afterthought to satisfy some curiosity, he gave one last order to a brunette female in a lab coat, emerging from the decontamination room. "You, acquire fresh cultures from Subject Y and run a full comparative analysis against S-cell cultures from years 1985, 1990, 1995, and year 0000."

Hojo's giddy excitement was contagious, and spread through his staff in the form of anxious dread.

* * *

Elsewhere, closer to the SOLDIER floors, Yuri raised an eyebrow and exaggerated a shiver. "Well, he was carrying enough creepy to fill two haunted houses."

"That was Professor Hojo, Head of the Science Department," Kunsel supplied, his expression dark. If it wasn't certain before, it was beyond all doubt now that Professor Hojo had his sights on Yuri. Whatever the reason, it was cause for concern. The General was probably the only person the information specialist knew of to see the scientist on a regular basis and escape relatively unscathed.

"Oh," Yuri replied simply. "Gawd, hope I don't meet him in a dark alley."

The second couldn't help but agree.


	20. Dreams

**Two Weeks Later**

Yuri was nervous as hell. Nothing could make her sit still. She had been called to Director Lazard's office personally, with no clue as to why. She paced in front of the door a few times, then took a deep breath and knocked.

"Enter," she heard and complied. Seated at his desk, with his fingers steepled in front of him, was the Director of the SOLDIER Program, Lazard Deusericus. That intimidation factor alone was not enough to stop Yuri from falling back into old ninja habits, her eyes wandering to take in as much detail of the room as possible. His office was bigger than her apartment, and completely utilitarian. For all its space, the only things it seemed to contain were Lazard's own desk, a construct of steel and mahogany, and a couch to the far left side of the room that was flanked with a pair of short potted trees. The white tile of the floor was only slightly more grey than the white paneling of the walls. The only thing keeping the room from feeling like a loony bin was the floor to ceiling wall of window overlooking the city of Midgar. The only way in or out was the way she came.

As if that wasn't intimidating enough, both of the SOLDIER Firsts, Sephiroth and Zack Fair, were in attendance.

Sephiroth looked all business as usual and seemed to be observing her closely, while Zack on the hand had a small smile on his face. It was a vast departure from the goofy grins she was used to seeing on him. He was different now, and it wasn't just the new haircut or the fresh scar on his cheek. There was a resigned maturity to him, or something like that. She didn't like the look of it.

 _Sweet Leviathan, I am so dead_ , the Wutaian SOLDIER agonized. She saluted in the best way she knew how. "You called for me, sir?"

The seated man gestured for her to relax with a small upturn of his lips. "At ease. Congratulations are in order, I believe."

She blinked in confusing then allowed her muscles to unclamp as much as they were able to, which wasn't much given the situation. "I'm not sure I understand, sir." _Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap…!_ ran through her head like a mixture of mantra and prayer.

It was the Demon of Wutai himself who answered, freaking the Wutaian out with his ghost of a smile. Impressively suppressing the fight or flight response, she gave her full attention respectfully to the silver-haired First. "After reviewing your service record to date, as well as receiving some impressive commendations from a couple of Shinra executives, you are hereby promoted to SOLDIER, 2nd Class." He handed her a paper. "Congratulations."

Her eyes widened a fraction, not quite believing what she had just heard. Blinking at the paper in her hand like she didn't understand it, she looked at the most familiar face in the room. "For real?" she asked, a stupid grin slowly spreading across her face.

Zack nodded, his lopsided grin becoming more open like the one she was used to. "Absolutely! Congrats, Yuri."

"YES!" She yelled, pumping her fist excitedly, then remembered her audience. "Er… I mean… thank you, sir!" she answered with a salute. She couldn't keep the smile off of her face, however. With her spirits this high, not even Sephiroth seemed all that bad.

The Director smiled kindly. "There is one last thing, something of a matter of tradition. Tell me, Yuri, what is your dream? Why are you in SOLDIER?"

This was an easy question, and one that she knew she could answer confidently. "Glory and honor, sir. Glory and honor." For herself and Wutai. She was one step closer.

"As good a reason as any," the director replied, leaning back in his executive chair, "and not an uncommon one. I'm sure you know who to talk to about your equipment and housing upgrades."

She nodded. "Yes, sir." That was information she had ferreted out the moment she made SOLDIER.

"Dismissed." And that was that.

With a salute, the brand new 2nd Class SOLDIER turned and left, keeping herself in check so that she didn't skip out of the room. 2nd Class SOLDIERs didn't skip, after all, no matter how happy they were.

* * *

Her excitement had tempered a bit by the time she had finished with requisitions and housing. Packing to move rooms hadn't been that hard either; everything she owned fit in a single box. She was placing the last of her materia stock in the box when Niels entered the room, flipping a medallion between his fingers. He eyed the box and gave his Wutaian roommate a smirk. "Moving on up in the world, I see."

She returned with the cockiest grin of her own. "You know it, Ice-man!" She shut the flaps on the box, tucking them into each other, and gave the top a good pat. "Looks you get the room to yourself, after all!"

The brunette laughed. "And neither of us had to die to get it." He plopped the medallion on the top of the box with a cardboard thump. "Got you a promotion present. Since you are the first out of our group to make second, I thought this should go to you."

She picked up the medallion and tested the weight of it in her hand as she examined it. It had an irregular shape, not quite round, but not quite an oval either, and it was embossed with the figure of a Gelnika. The words were in a font of Midgan that she had a hard time reading, but she could tell that this was a military coin. "Thanks, I think…" she floundered, not understanding the significance.

Her now-ex-roommate grinned with the knowledge that he knew something she didn't. "Its a tradition that's more common in the infantry. Its basically a 'bragging rights' medallion. It gets passed around a platoon. Whoever holds the coin gets free drinks from everyone else."

She smirked. "Figures I'd get a drinking token from the teetotaler."

"Why do you think I'm giving it to you?" he confirmed with a chuckle. "I'll drink again when I'm no longer traumatized."

Huffing with indignation, she pocketed the coin and picked up the box of her belongings. "It worked, didn't it?"

"Worst. Roommate. Ever." Niels said this with a completely serious face, which didn't last long. He tousled her hair to get on the shorter SOLDIER's nerves. "Don't forget me while you schmooze it up in the big leagues."

She knocked his hand away from her head, then caught her unbalanced box before it fell. "Whatever, Ice-man. You'll be back up with me in no time."

She grinned, holding up her forearm. He returned with a confident smile of his own. "Believe it," he said, bumping Yuri's forearm with his own. "Take care, squirt."

"That's 'Great and Powerful Yuri, Azure Dragon of SOLDIER' to you."

Niels just shook his head ruefully and waved his old roommate goodbye.

* * *

The room she was assigned was on the same hall but opposite side of Kunsel's room. It was kind of cool to realize that she was now the same rank as the terminally nosy 18 year old. The room to herself wasn't so bad either.

She plopped her box on the bed. It was a double instead of a twin, but the same old regular issue linens. Not the best, but way better than what she had in the slums. The dresser was the exact same as the old one, so she opened the box and started unpacking so that the new dresser was set up just like the old one, as well. This room also had a desk, not that she had much to put on it. The better to write all those mission reports with, she supposed. Overall, looking around she noted that the room wasn't bad. There was also a full length mirror.

Fifteen minutes later, Yuri wasn't sure that red was her color. The biggest upside to having a room all to herself now was that she also had the bathroom all to herself because the opposing room was vacant. It sure came in handy now as she turned side to side in front of the mirror, taking her new sleeveless crimson turtleneck off, tightening her bandages, and then putting it on again. She'd had a growth spurt lately. Unfortunately, she was capped on height, and the color red didn't help much for concealing her unfortunately increasing bust size. It was fine for now, hardly noticeable, but she wasn't sure how much longer it would be fine for. Now, if she made 1st Class within the next six month, she could get her one of those super cool overcoats and modify her uniform however she liked. Problem solved.

 _Yeah, right_ , she thought to herself. Second Class within six months had been impressive enough. First Class within a year would be darn near impossible. She sighed dejectedly.

 _Maybe I'll be lucky and the next batch of mako injections will stop boob growth_ , she considered. Ironic, since she'd been looking forward to breasts since she was old enough to recognize all grown up women had them.

Speaking of, she had an appointment to keep with the science department. It was the last stop in her transition to the new rank, and then she could start bragging to her friends. Well, if Zack or Niels didn't tell them first. She was more than a little nervous about going to the science department, though. Hojo really freaked her out, especially now that she had met the man. She'd tough it out, though. She'd make it through this and make the best 2nd Class ever, then be promoted almost instantly to First after impressing them with how awesome she was. Not to mention, this would be another opportunity to sneak some knowledge about the science department.

The warnings from Kunsel and that researcher kept echoing in her head. She knew from Kunsel's speculations that there was probably a good chance those science geeks knew her secret already. That alleviated some of her fears, but raised new ones. The department had never approved a female candidate before, but she had been different. Why?

Well, finding the answer to that might just be part of the mission the Old Man had set her on.

She was the White Rose of Wutai. The Azure Dragon of SOLDIER. Scratch that… the Vermilion Fox, cunning and sly! Not only could she do this, but she was going to be the Best Ever. No question.

Squaring her shoulders and giving herself the cockiest smile she could muster in the mirror, she left her new room and shut the door behind her.

Despite her bravado, each step towards the science department rang like a gong in her chest. She'd left her weapons in her room, and even though a true ninja was never truly weaponless, she felt naked. Not comfortably nude, as if she'd forgotten all her materia at home, but stark naked with nothing but her fists, which she clenched at her sides.

The elevator ride wasn't long enough to make her less nervous, but it was long enough for her to give herself a pep talk. "Nothing to be worried about," she lied to herself. "It will be just like going to the doctor." She hated doctors. "Greasy doctors who keep monsters in the basement and create super soldiers." She also wasn't the best at pep talks. "Oh, come on! If Kunsel could do this, so can you!"

The elevator doors opened just as the gleam of determination was settling into her violet mako eyes. She made a power fist and marched on to the labs with the confidence of a returning hero. She could do this, creepy doctors be damned.

"Yuri Kisaragi, SOLDIER 2nd Class?" a lab assistant asked shortly after she walked through the reinforced glass doors of the main lab space.

"Yep, that's me!" she answered, shoving a thumb into her chest.

He went to the front desk and grabbed a clip board. "This way, please."

She followed the assistant further into the depths of the labs, snaking down several hallways. Everything was stark white, from the ceiling to the floor tiles, and smelled vaguely of formaldehyde and disinfectants. They passed several solid doors, all marked as numbered lab spaces, but no clue as the work that went on within. It was slightly disappointing.

When the assistant reached a certain door, unlocked and opened it, it was apparent they had reached their destination. "Go ahead and disrobe down to your undergarments." He pointed to a cabinet to the side. "You may store your equipment there for the time being."

Breaking out into a cold sweat, Yuri hedged, "Is that really necessary? I've got this thing about nudity…"

Not even looking up from his clipboard, the assistant flipped a page. "For transition from Class 3 to Class 2, not usually, but I believe you have extenuating circumstances that necessitate a full work up before we proceed. I can ensure that a female assistant is present during the examination, if you wish."

Her eye twitched. That answered the question of whether or not the science department knew her so-called secret. She huffed. "Yeah, do that."

He made a note on his clipboard and closed the door behind him.

Hesitantly, she began to remove the maroon uniform. She was even nervous enough to take the time to fold and place them carefully in the offered cabinet. Once down to her skivvies, she hopped up and had a seat on the examination table. For some reason that felt better than just standing around the mostly empty room. There weren't even interesting posters to look at like in a normal doctor's office. There was a wall of cabinets, though. Peaking through the doors and drawers didn't really satisfy her curiosity either. Most of them were empty. It was like they weren't used to seeing patients, so just found an empty room to stick her in. Comforting thought, that.

Not.

After an additional gruelingly boring fifteen minutes, the door slid opened with a hiss.

Professor Hojo was just as utterly terrifying as she had expected him to be. He looked exactly like the last time she had seen him two weeks ago. Immaculate white lab coat over black slacks and a white dress shirt, finished with a tie, black hair pulled back at the base of his neck, the glare on his wire-rimmed glasses obscuring the view of his eyes. For that she was thankful, because she was pretty sure if she could see his eyes, they'd suck the soul out of her.

His lips were turned up into an amused grin as he ambled into the room, followed by a brunette female assistant pushing a utility cart covered with an assortment of tools and syringes, some of which were glowing ominously. "Yuri Kisaragi. Your promotion is timely. Not quite as good as Sephiroth, but few are. Good."

"Uh… thanks?" she replied uncertainly.

Hojo chuckled. "Yes, I do suppose I would be the one to thank." He looked at the brunette assistant. "Begin."

"Yes, professor," she answered, moving towards Yuri with the cart in tow. She took out the pressure cuff first and wrapped it around her bicep. "Uncross your ankles and breath normally." This sounded almost like advise for the entire encounter, to be honest.

"There is something I would like you to understand, before we continue," the professor said imperiously. "As a general rule, women are not allowed entry into SOLDIER. They are unstable, emotional creatures with physical capabilities inferior to males."

Yuri started to bristle at this, and almost opened her mouth. "Take a deep breath," the assistant ordered first, moving a stethoscope to the left side of her back, "Exhale," then repeated to the right side. She was probably a lifesaver.

The professor inspected one of the syringes, pressing the plunger to ensure the needle was clear of all air. "So why, one could ask, were you permitted entry into one of the most exclusive organizations in the world?"

Something told Yuri that a sarcastic reply was probably going to be bad for her. She chose this moment to ignore that little voice. "Cause SOLDIER had a disappointing lack of ninja awesomeness?"

"Perhaps." Hojo's smile reminded Yuri of a _hannya noh_ mask that hung on display in the Temple of Leviathan. The cursed one. "I expect a great many things of you. Almost, in fact, as many as are expected of the General." The assistant moved to taking her measurements. "As such, I expect you to come to me and only me in the future for all health concerns."

The assistant finished the last measurement. "162 centimeters."

The professor frowned. "Disappointing, but not unexpected." He then picked up the clip board, perusing the new data. "Still, it is within acceptable parameters for the experiment. Continue."

"Wait, what? Experiment?" Yuri didn't like the sound of that.

"But, of course!" The scientist's creepy smile reemerged. "As the first female to ever be made SOLDIER, it stands to reason that all procedures from here on out will be… most experimental."

"Lay down, please," the assistant instructed, aided by her gently pushing back on Yuri's shoulder. Rather than fight the assistant, she obeyed. The assistant took the only non-glowing syringe and prepped it, sticking it into the crook of Yuri's arm. "It… is probably best that you not be awake for the rest of the procedure," she told the prone SOLDIER with a kind smile.

Before she could comment, everything went fuzzy, and then she was out for the count. The last thing she saw was Hojo leaning over her, pushing up his glasses with his creepy smile on his face.

As for Hojo's part, he was most anxious to continue the newest stage of the Jenova Project. Soon, he would begin the first steps of testing his Reunion theory. There were certain risks inherent in such an experiment, however.

A safeguard was prudent. He had such high hopes for Subject Y.

* * *

 _ **In the days since...**_

 _Events passed by like a fever dream. Minutes melted into hours. Hours blurred into days, days in which nothing seemed real. In the rare moments when her eyes received input, the world was overlaid with a fog reminiscent of a green Gaussian blur. In the moments of semi-consciousness, her body was a leaden weight, as if the entirety of the Dai Chao Mountain rested atop her. A steady, pervasive burn engulfed her every inch, soaking into her blood._

 _On the inside, her blood burned, but on the outside, she was frigid. Every nerve ending was met with a cold that numbed her down to her bones, to the point where not even a shiver could escape._

 _Sometimes, there would be voices. There was a crooning, almost gentle voice that would sometimes offer words that sounded kind, even if she couldn't recognize them. There were neutral voices, words that droned like bees. The last voice always accompanied some degree of unpleasantness. It hissed and spat at times, and cackled at others. The words spoken weren't Wutaian. She should know what they meant, though, and it was maddening. Meaning was meaningless, but the feeling, the taste of what the voices said was clear. Always, the last voice evoked the feeling of being a bug under glass, helpless to the whims of the observer._

 _A searing pain sometimes engulfed her, and she envisioned being devoured, body and soul. Then she'd be recreated from head to toe, and the process would begin again, always accompanied by the same encompassing pain. The vacillation between pain and comfort was maddening, almost to the point where she couldn't tell the difference anymore._

 _Mostly, she blissfully slept. She measured time, when she present enough to have a concept of time, by the length and number of dreams._

 _Wutai featured heavily. She walked the steps of the Dai Chao, swam in the waters of the Leviathan, danced for the temple, and fought for the people. She dreamed of High Priestess Izayoi's stern but gentle lessons on deportment, diplomacy, and duties of the priestesses of Leviathan. She dreamt of a father she saw but once a year, and yet she was always reaching for him, chasing at his heels for his notice and attention. She wanted so much to be like the father she adored. Those dreams were the most lucid, the truest representations of her heart._

 _Amidst the memories sliding in and out of focus within her subconscious mind, was a presence. Its offerings were so similar to the desires of her heart. Acceptance. Attention. Strength._

"…incre… con…trat..ns ….three …cent…"

 _"…'m here … you. I …ways be …re for ..."_

 _She dreamt of mako eyes and the wings to fly to freedom._


	21. Shotgun & Rayleigh

_AN: Don't own Before Crisis. I only take liberties with novelizing it and modifying it for my fan fiction. Don't sue._

 _P.S. Lots of Cloud on the horizon. Yuri is currently on ice. (hehe, I made a bad pun.)_

 _P.S.S. Thanks so much for the loves and reviews and PMs. :D I hope this lives up to expectations._

* * *

 **Chapter 21: Shotgun & Rayleigh**

 **June 27, 0001: Junon**

The training room of the Junon Station Infantry Armory was full of the usual infantry crowd milling about. The station was still fully staffed after the incidents of a few month's past, but ever since Avalanche's failed attacks on the base, things had been quiet. In fact, with the President no longer visiting the base, there was word on the rumor mill that troops would be redeploying to other stations soon. It was the best that most of the infantrymen could ask for, because entertainment was beginning to wear thin on the base. Unless you wanted to drink or gamble, the only thing left to do was train or work.

That is what led to a group of about four or five infantrymen watching in curiosity as Cloud practiced the last sword form that Yuri had taught him before he'd left Midgar. This was a more advanced form that all the others the SOLDIER had taught him so far, and it was different in that it utilized the hilt of the sword and mimicked fighting multiple opponents. Practicing Wutaian sword forms was such a different form of training that what Shinra gave its troops, that watching the blonde haired infantryman had become something of a spectator sport.

"The fuck's he doin'?" one of the new guys on base would ask.

"Oh, that's just Cloud. Heard he's lined himself up with a SOLDIER mentor somehow," someone else would say. "Say's he's practicing. Looks more like dancing around if you ask me."

"Really? Why don't you go ask him for a spar?" would eventually be suggested.

And then Cloud would proceed to give 'em a smack down, and that would be that. He'd already been through nearly the exact same conversation about six times in the three months since he'd been stationed in Junon.

He never thought he'd miss Midgar, but there it was. Smog and all. At least in Midgar he was able to practice in peace without the peanut gallery.

This time around, however, the curious-infantryman-of-the-day never got his chance at a spar. The sergeant of his current unit blew through the door like a hurrican. "Strife! Front and center!"

Sheathing the weapon quickly, Cloud reached the sergeant with a half jog and saluted at attention. "Sir!"

"New orders coming down the line. Pack up your shit and be ready at 0600 hours. Your hopping the next transport to Midgar. Dismissed."

"Yes, sir!" the blond broke salute and hurried back to the barracks. On the way he pulled out his PHS and sent a quick message to Yuri.

" _Subject: About time!_

 _Hey Yuri! Guess who's finally headed back to Midgar! Haven't heard from you in a few weeks. I hope you haven't been getting into trouble. I know how you can be. Lets meet up when I get back. I've almost mastered that last form you taught me. Oh, and how's Zack doing?_

 _-Cloud_ "

He pressed the send button. It had been several weeks since he'd heard from his mentor. He wondered if Yuri was on an extended mission, because it was not like the social SOLDIER to not respond for long periods of time. Should he send a message to Kunsel and ask? He wasn't as close to the SOLDIER 2nd as he was to Yuri, though. But wait… didn't Zack know Yuri also?

The infantryman finished stuffing his things into his rucksack and dialed Zack's number as he walked. He'd wanted to check up on the SOLDIER 1st anyway.

Zack answered on the second ring. " _Zack speaking_."

"Hey. It's… uh… Cloud," he said into the PHS, hoping he wasn't interrupting anything.

For a moment the line was silent but then the excitement in the SOLDIER's voice picked up. " _Cloud! How's Junon treating you_?"

"They are sending me back to Midgar for a new assignment," he answered, nodding at a few of his fellow infantrymen as he passed them in the hallway.

" _At least you are getting assignments. They've got me on standby_." Cloud could hear the exasperation over the line, but then he perked up. " _Well, at least it's more time to spend with Aerith and train the newbies_."

Cloud vaguely felt bad for those new recruits. He hadn't known Zack too long, but he already knew his weakness: idleness. And there was a saying in Nibelheim: Idle hands were the devil's playground. "Who's Aerith? Girlfriend?"

The line was silent for a moment. " _Yeah, I think so_ ," he replied.

Cloud smiled. "You'll have to tell me about her sometime. I actually had another reason for calling."

The older teen on the other end of the line sounded shocked and appalled, at least jokingly. " _Spike! I'm wounded! There is nothing more important than talking about girls._ "

Shaking his head ruefully, even if the other boy couldn't see it, Cloud asked his question. "Its about Yuri. Do you know if he's on a mission or something? He hasn't been answering me for several weeks, and that is really unusual for him."

For a moment, Cloud wondered if the line had been dropped. He was walking under one of the large metal structures that lined the streets of Junon. A quick glance at his screen showed that Zack was still there. When he put the PHS back to his ear, Zack was talking again. " _I take it you don't know_."

"Don't know what?" the blonde responded, anxiousness sinking in his gut.

" _Well, there is good news, and there's bad news_." Zack led into it. " _The good news is that Yuri made 2nd Class two weeks ago_."

Readjusting the rucksack on his shoulder, Cloud prepared himself for the worst. "And what's the bad news?"

Zack made a sound on the other end, like a clicking sound. " _Truth is, he's been missing for two weeks_."

"What do you mean? Like deserted?" the infantryman asked in shock.

" _No, Yuri wouldn't do that_ ," the SOLDIER asserted. " _We are looking for him, don't worry_."

Cloud frowned as they said their see-ya-laters, and hung up. Staring at the closed PHS in his hand, the blonde couldn't help but wonder what was going on in SOLDIER these days. And now it was getting personal.

* * *

 **Wutai**

Elfe lit another candle and examined her handiwork. The new base for Avalanche was complete, and even though the outside was made in the architectural style of a pagoda, the lower levels were quite dark, built more like the fortified structures of Midgar instead of the open and natural style of Wutai.

It was off-putting to the Avalanche Leader. She understood the need for security and secrecy, but she preferred the naturally filtered light of the sun to the incandescent flicker of the many candles she had lit. And yet, even these simple candles were preferable to the planet-killing light of Shinra Power and Electric. She lit another candle and blew out the match.

"Fuhito," she said in a manner of greeting, her voice lilting on the second syllable like a verbal nod. It had been a while since she'd last seen her intelligence officer. She turned and looked at him, taking in the minute changes of the last few months. There were few, though the biggest was probably a new gleam in his eyes that could not be accounted for by just candlelight. "I hear you've acquired some interesting information from one of our informants."

"Indeed," the Wutaian-born agent responded gleefully, re-positioning his glasses along his angular nose, "Quite terribly exciting news, in fact." The ghost of a smile flitted across his face.

There was something secretive about that smile, or perhaps expecting. It was a smile that she had seen on his face before, at times when his best plans were being concocted. "So what I've heard is true? Shinra is indeed sending its best kept secrets for a walk on a weathered leash?" she asked, knowing only information of that caliber could make the usually restrained Fuhito smile like that. She let out a slow, deep breath, a relief for what this meant washing over her. "Finally, we will have the strength to fight SOLDIER face to face."

The raven-haired man nodded. "The day of Shinra's doom is at hand."

Turning from the candles, she sat indian style upon a padded mat. "Well," she probed with an expectant look at her fellow Avalanche leader, "what did our informant have for us?"

Again, the smile. Moving to the mat across from her, he sat in a more traditional style, with his legs folded beneath him. He withdrew an envelope from the inside pocket of his jacket and removed its contents, displaying it for Elfe to see. "The schedule of the one carrying the rarefied data. It seems that she will arrive at Midgar Station tomorrow morning."

The female leader tapped her chin in contemplation. That did not allow them much time to plan and move out. "Am I to assume that this is when we strike?" she asked.

With an affirmative nod and the barest lifting of his lips, he replied, "That is correct. I have already dispatched my special troops." There was a hint of pride in the intelligence officer's voice.

Elfe's eyes cut to Fuhito sharply in surprise. "Your troops?" This was not something she had heard of before.

"Yes," he replied without clarifying. "Simply leave it to me, please."

She hesitated, but nodded, unsure of how she felt about Fuhito's 'special troops'. In the end, if it brought about Shinra's end and saved the planet, then that was all that mattered. "So, who is the one carrying the data?" she inquired.

Fuhito hummed, then answered in an almost lyrical voice, "One certain 'Doctor Rayleigh'."

* * *

Cloud shifted from one foot to the other, and looked at Doctor Lynn Rayleigh, a bespectacled brunette woman that he and his fellow troops had been sent to escort to the next check point. It was hot at the station, even with the plate blocking the sun from above them, and the infantryman somewhat envied the doctor's pale blue tank top. He didn't think the skirt would look that good on him, though, he thought to himself with a small laugh twitching his lips. "I'm sure the person we are waiting for will get here soon," he told the group, playing off his smile so that he wouldn't have to explain his humor.

And in a timely fashion, a woman in a blue suit jogged up to them, attempting to look as cool as a cucumber despite the bead of sweat tracing her jawline. She stopped ten feet away from them and flashed a confident smile. With a jaunty wave to the scientist, she introduced herself. "I'm Shotgun, of the Turks. I've been sent here to act as your escort. Pleased to meet you." Her hair was a wheat blonde, a good match for her honeyed eyes, pulled high into a long ponytail that fanned over the front of her blue suit. To be honest, she didn't look all that tough, but she had her namesake, an impressively large double barrel, propped against her shoulder. It completely ruined any notion of weakness.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well," Rayleigh nodded politely from behind Cloud. "I feel much safer knowing that a member of the Turks is here."

Cloud chafed just a bit at this. It was obvious the higher-ups didn't trust the regular soldiers to guard the doctor. He frowned. Now why would that be? A simple escort mission shouldn't be that high priority. Unless…

Well, his trouble-senses were tingling. And after working with Yuri, they were becoming quite well tuned.

"No time like the present. Lets get going," Shotgun ordered the group. The infantrymen flanked the doctor, with Cloud taking the rear. The plan was simple. They would leave from the train station and take the company car parked outside. One infantry man and the Turk would ride with the professor while the other two infantrymen lead ahead and followed behind on motorbike until they reached the checkpoint at Sector Zero, which encompassed the Shinra Building and the perimeter around it.

As they turned to leave, however, a pair of men in brown militia style clothing sporting the Skull and "A" emblem charged onto the platform. Avalanche. They spotted Rayleigh and Cloud heard them shout and point, "It's her! That woman's our target," before aiming their guns at the group.

God, I hate being right, Cloud frowned, readying his rifle and pushing himself in front of the doctor.

Rayleigh then noticed the charging soldiers and shrieked in Cloud's ear.

"Don't worry, Doctor. They won't lay a finger on you as long as I'm here!" Shotgun assured her as she charged in front of everyone.

"Hand over that woman or die," one of the Avalanche soldiers demanded.

Cloud stepped even with Shotgun, glaring at the Avalanchers. "No can do. Who'd even do something like that!?"

Apparently not liking his answer, the enemy opened fire at them, and they both rolled into a dodge, Cloud to the left, and Shotgun to the right, while the other two infantrymen ushered the doctor to safety.

"Hey, Mr. Guard. Get out of the way," Shotgun growled, opening counter fire. Her shot took one of the Avalanche in the leg. Ducking behind a support pillar to reload, she reasoned, "This is going to get dangerous."

"No-o," the infantryman refused, the drawn out tone of his voice making it clear just how inane he thought the idea to be . "We soldiers are here to protect Doctor Rayleigh, too." He took a shot and grazed the other Avalanche's arm. "Tch." He dodged the return fire, ducking behind a barrel as he reloaded his rifle.

The Turk took another shot and then cocked an eyebrow at him. "It can't be helped then. You'd better not slow me down."

"Mm," he nodded in confirmation. "And I do have a name, you know. It's Cloud."

Shotgun smirked and then nodded back. "Left."

"Right," he responded.

The double-barrel made a mess of the left enemy's chest cavity, while Cloud made a head shot with his rifle on the other. The Turk gave out a low whistle as she looked over their handiwork. "Nice aim, kid."

"What can I say?" the infantryman wryly answered, mimicking her weapon-over-the-shoulder stance. "I've been practicing."

The Turk's eyebrow twitched. "Hm. You're a bit of a showboat, though, you know that?" she responded, annoyed. "Knock it off and lets get going."

"You're one to talk," he replied under his breath, but apparently loud enough for the keen-eared Turk to hear him. She shot a glare his way.

To the rest of the group, she ordered, "We have to hurry and make up for the time we've lost."

"Yeah, yeah." Cloud smiled at the Doctor, who was visibly shaken. "Doctor, lets get you out of here." He then nodded at both of his teammates, who nodded back. They again flanked the Doctor, keeping an eye on the front and sides while Cloud watched the back.

They had barely taken three steps before more of Avalanche barreled down on them, seemingly coming out of the woodworks. Cloud cursed. Yuri would be disappointed. The other two had probably been a diversion while the rest had set up the ambush, and he had missed it. Shotgun had fallen behind and was fighting a group of three, and two more had splintered off and was charging the escort group. Things were not looking good as they were quickly surrounded.

One of the Avalanche soldiers fired on them, missing the infantrymen. Acting quickly, Cloud used the butt of his rifle and put a well-placed hit on the nose of the one who had fired. "Keep your hands off my comrades!" he roared. There was the loud crack of a broken nose, but it was only enough to stun. While his fellow soldiers held off the other one, he kneed the Avalanche soldier in the solar plexus, causing him to bend over, breathless, and then brought the butt of his gun down on the base of his skull. The enemy fell to the ground, releasing his hold on the gun, which Cloud then kicked away.

He aimed and took a shot at the other Avalanche soldier, who switched his attention to the blonde. "I'll hold them off. You take Doctor Rayleigh and get away," he ordered the other two infantrymen.

"All right," the infantryman on Rayleigh's left answered. "Take care." They exchanged nods, and then the other two infantrymen retreated with the doctor in tow. The Avalanche operative tried to follow but Cloud blocked his path, rushing the enemy and closing the distance quickly, ruining the soldier's chance of getting a shot off. Quickly grasping his own rifle like a club, he jammed the butt into the Avalanche soldier's stomach. With the enemy dazed, he flipped the rifle back around, placing a point blank shot at chest level.

The blond infantryman was surprised at how easy it had been. Those advanced forms were coming in handy.

"Cloud."

He turned to see that Shotgun had finished up with her set of attackers and was approaching him at a jog. Which was a good thing, because another set of Avalanche was heading their way. Where were they all coming from? "Oh, it's you. Hurry up and go." He took a defensive position between the Turk and the approaching enemy. "Doctor Rayleigh has already gone on ahead."

"Don't make me laugh!" Shotgun huffed as she came even with Cloud, cocking the double-barrel loudly. "I haven't gotten to fight nearly enough yet."

He didn't have to look to see the smile on her face, it was clear in her voice. At least the Turk was having fun.

Shotgun fired into the pair of Avalanche soldiers, sending scatter-shot out in a cone. Some hit, some missed. Most of the shots that hit staggered but didn't stop them, lodging into armored vests. The enemy scattered, obviously attempting to put the two Shinra fighters in a pincer. The Turk quickly reloaded and aimed again, firing another round, but higher. This time, she took off the guy's head. She spun to the other side to find the second enemy aiming at her.

The infantryman deflected the shot by hitting the underside of the enemy's gun with the barrel of his rifle, making the shot go high, firing into nowhere. The Turk barely had time to aim in the time it took her temporary partner to disarm, aim, and fire, taking out the soldier.

She had to admit. She loved her shotgun. It sure was powerful, but perhaps not the fastest. Still, the kid was quick, and the way he used his rifle like a blunt weapon reminded her a bit of another Turk, code-name Katana. It was both resourceful and risky mixing melee tactics with the business end of a firearm.

She knew he had sent the others ahead while he stayed behind to fight. She frowned. "I get it, kid, you're good, but do you think you can guard the other guards?" she reprimanded him. He sheepishly looked away. "Even I can't be expected to give that kind of backup," she finished.

"I…"

Before Cloud could finish, the shrill scream of Doctor Rayleigh pierced through to them, and they ran.

"Who are you?" one of the infantrymen guarding the doctor demanded of the men in front of them. Two of the men were the standard Avalanche soldier, dressed in brown fatigues, but the third man was different, dressed in black with a short sleeved black overcoat.

This third man said nothing, but the air suddenly felt cold, the overhead lights flickering, then dimming to near nothing as the man raised his hand. A figure of bone and smoke materialized as if from nothing, wielding a menacing scythe. The two infantrymen moved protectively in front of the doctor.

The skeletal reaper cackled and lowered the scythe in an angular swipe. It passed through the two soldiers, and then vanished.

"Th…this is…" Rayleigh wavered, "'Death Magic'!?"

Her protectors fell, lifeless.

"What kind of evil magic was that?" Shotgun shivered.

"Guys…" the young man beside her said quietly, and then dashed forward.

"Cloud, hold it!" Shotgun chased after him.

The menacing black-clad Avalanche operative stepped closer to the doctor. "Doctor Rayleigh, I presume.

"S..stop. Don't kill me…" she pleaded, taking a step back.

His voice was reasonable. "We won't kill you as long you do as we say." He looked back at the other two Avalanche soldiers. "Take her away."

"Yes, sir," they replied, each grabbing an arm of the doctor and leading her away.

"Let Doctor Rayleigh go," Cloud growled as he reached them, his rifle aimed.

The black clad man looked almost bored. "Don't move. If you do, she dies."

To illustrate the point, one of the soldiers prodded the doctor with his gun.

"Tch…" Cloud lowered his gun, trying to work out what to do. What could he do?

A phone rang beside him. Shotgun answered it and spoke. "Doctor Rayleigh has been captured. An Avalanche member in black, wielding some kind of mysterious magic…" A moment passed. "The situation prevents me from taking action." Cloud watched as they began to move the Doctor towards the train. Shotgun's face became blank. "… Understood."

Cloud could see it in her eyes before she even said anything. She was about to do something that put the person he was suppose to protect in danger. As she moved to attack, yelling for the doctor to get down, Cloud moved in front of her, blocking the way. "Hey! What are you thinking!?"

The man in black scoffed at the Turk. "So what happens to this woman doesn't matter to you."

Cloud panicked. If they thought she didn't matter, they may just kill her anyway. "That's not true! Leave the doctor alone. I'll hold her off," he said, the look he gave the Turk telling her that he meant every word.

She clenched her jaw. "Cloud. Get out of the way or you'll get hurt."

His steely gaze met her own. "I can't. If we make one wrong move, Doctor Rayleigh's life will be in danger."

"Don't you think I know that?" she replied, exasperated.

"I'm Doctor Rayleigh's escort!" the infantryman shouted with conviction. No matter what, he refused to let her get hurt.

The train began to move with the doctor and Avalanche on board. "Doctor Rayleigh! Damn it," Cloud cursed, letting the Turk go to give chase.

"Cloud!" Shotgun shouted after him, watching him vanish through the door of the moving train. She moved to block the black clothed man from following and gritted her teeth. She'd just have to trust the infantryman to keep the doctor safe until she could catch up.

"A kid, huh? He won't be a problem," the man sneered at her. "You, on the other hand…" The look he gave her clearly relayed his anticipation, and then he attacked.

* * *

Cloud crouched at the entrance way of the train. He took deep, steady breaths, fighting off the nausea of motion sickness. He was on his own now, and that was admittedly a bit intimidating, but this wasn't just one of Yuri's pranks, or training. This was real, and there were lives at stake, some of which had already been lost. Motion sickness or not, he could not fail. He had to be smart about this and work through it. Admittedly, the adrenaline helped.

Inside the car, the two Avalanche operatives who had taken the doctor still had her under watch. They had cuffed her to the hand rail above the seat where she sat dejectedly. At least they no longer had her at gunpoint, he thought with a frown. The odds of it continuing like that if he wasn't smart wasn't good, though. He had to get rid of her guards as quietly as possible. Using his rifle was out of the question. The gunshots would alert others and then there would be a mess of Avalanche on his tail. Instead, he swung the rifle to his back and drew the kodachi while he formulated a plan.

Lets see, he thought. Across from him, there was a ladder that led to the roof of the train. Probably not too safe to go up there when moving, but it was an element he might be able to use. That was all at this entryway to the car, other than the door he had jumped in through. On the inside of the car, there were tall bench seats placed back to back every five feet, each section framing a window. The isle was wide, and there were empty luggage racks above the train seats.

He could just charge through, but then they'd shoot. Them shooting was just as bad as him shooting. He needed a way to lure them closer.

He searched his pockets and found two rifle shells. A small smile crept onto his face.

He made sure his rifle was unloaded and then laid it down on the floor in front of the door. He then moved quietly through the darkened entrance and climbed the ladder on the other side. Once he was a good seven feet up and well hidden in the shadows, he tossed the two metal shells down onto the metal floor, where they clanked loudly.

A moment later, a shadow, and then a head entered the entryway. When the Avalanche operative bent down to pick up the rifle, Cloud slipped down the ladder and killed him with the kodachi. He then opened the train door and shoved the body out, incidentally losing his rifle as well, as he fought not to hurl more than just the body.

"Damn," he whispered to himself, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

A quick check showed that the remaining guard was still at his post, but was now curiously looking his way. With the door opening, he was probably wondering what his buddy was up to. Cloud frowned. There was no way he was going to get the second guy to come to him, and to charge now would mean getting shot at, which would end badly.

He sighed, sheathed his sword, and climbed back up the ladder, this time opening the hatch.

He peaked out, and seeing that the coast was clear, he pulled himself out, closing the hatch back as quietly as possible. If he could sneak to the other side, he might be able to get the guy from behind.

Staying low, he crawled his way across the moving train, doing his best not to look at the tunnel walls speeding past him. "I can do this, I can do this," he whispered to himself repeatedly. It felt like an eternity before he reached the other side, breakfast intact. Carefully opening the hatch on the other side, he lowered himself down the ladder, closing it just as quietly behind him.

The Avalanche operative had his back to Cloud now, and was walking towards the other entrance. Rayleigh caught sight of the blonde, her eyes going wide, as Cloud placed a finger over his lips in the universal hush signal. She nodded and scooted a bit farther into the seat.

Drawing his kodachi once more, he slipped through the car as quietly as possible, using the operative's distraction against him. He didn't notice Cloud until the last possible minute. He raised his gun, but the infantryman knocked it away, then swung his short sword in a downward arch, silencing him. After a quick search, he found the key to the doctor's cuffs, thanking his luck that the key hadn't been on the other body.

Oh well. Hind-sight is 20/20, he supposed. He unlocked Rayleigh's cuffs. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, rubbing her wrist. "I am now, thank you."

"We still need to get off of this train," he stated. As much as he didn't want to be on anymore, it wouldn't be the safest thing for either him or the doctor to jump off of a moving train. To the conductor's cabin, it was, then. "Follow me."

Before he could get to the door, however, it opened and three new operatives all walked in. "Just my luck," the infantryman frowned.

* * *

"Let Doctor Rayleigh go." Cloud was on his knees in front of a group of three Avalanche troops and Rayleigh, looking a bit worse for wear. It was obvious that he had already been roughed up. She noticed that his rifle was missing and the short sword that he had worn at his waist was across the train.

Well, she knew she had the right car now. And Cloud was drawing all the enemies' attention. Good boy.

"Stubborn Brat. Seems like you really do want to die," the speaking soldier kicked the kid in the stomach, laying him flat.

"Stop!" Shotgun shouted, aiming her namesake. "That's as far as you go."

"Who's there?" the operative demanded, aiming his own gun. "Oh shit, Turks!?"

She ignored him, and addressed the woman. "Are you all right, Doctor Rayleigh?"

The brunette nodded. "Somehow. But he…" she trailed off, looking with concern at Cloud, who still hadn't gotten off the floor.

"Cloud…" Shotgun murmured, rushing forwards.

"D-don't move, or she gets it." Classic villain line. How did Cloud lose to this? Oh, yeah, three-on-one group beat down. At least one of them was sporting a nasty slash in the arm, she noticed.

"That's not going to happen! Cloud, stay where you are," she ordered as she engaged the Avalanche soldiers. She hoped the kid was conscious enough to hear her.

The enemy tried to circle around her. Dodging bullets and using the metal seats for cover, she picked the Avalanche men off one at a time, being careful not to hit either Rayleigh or Cloud. Right before she could shoot the last one, however, the tip of a kodachi emerged from under his ribs, and he fell to the ground, sliding off the weapon.

Cloud slumped into the next seat. "I think I'm gonna hurl," he mumbled, holding his stomach.

Shotgun looked at the body. "I dunno, I've seen people eviscerated worse than that…"

"Motion-sickness," he corrected.

The Turk's mind went blank, and she blinked. She hadn't known him long but the kid was a natural born damage-dealer. And a little motion got to him? She chuckled. "Ever thought of joining the Turks, kid?" she joked.

He, however, wasn't feeling too mirthful when he responded. "Why are you here? Did you come to put the doctor in danger again?"

She took a deep breath and sighed. "The doctor holds data vital to Shinra. If Avalanche gets a hold of it, there's no telling what'll happen."

"So you're just going to secure the data then abandon her?" he growled disapprovingly.

"I'm not abandoning her," the Turk defended.

"You put her life in danger," he countered. "It's no different than abandoning her." Shotgun was silent to this, as she had no way to counter. So, Cloud continued, sounding a little less angry. "There's got to be a way to protect the doctor and the data at the same time."

Shotgun nodded and took out her PHS. It was time to phone in the update.

Veld answered. " _Shotgun, what's your situation_?"

"I've met up with Doctor Rayleigh again," she answered.

" _Well done. Is the data safe_?"

She looked at the doctor. "Both the doctor and the data are safe."

" _Good. Take the data and get out of there_ ," Veld ordered.

"Alone?" she asked, resisting the urge to look Cloud's way.

" _More of those new troops are headed your way. They are under Fuhito's direct command. However, that's all we know about them right now. Confronting them is too much of a risk. Thats why you have to protect the data._ "

 _I'm supposed to just run away, just like Cloud accused me of?_ Shotgun thought to herself, frowning. The whole thing put a sour taste in her mouth. She looked at Cloud, then at the doctor, and back again, coming to a decision.

" _Hey, can you hear me_?" Veld called.

She heard the door to the train open. Lo and behold, the black-clad Avalanche. _This is the worst…_ She thought as she cocked her shotgun.

"It's the same guys from before," Cloud stated the obvious, while standing and readying his kodachi, it being the only weapon he had left. A glance confirmed that they were indeed the exact same guys. Were they immortal or something? "I'm leaving the doctor to you."

She understood his meaning. Brave kid. Stupid, but brave. Resolve was written on his face.

" _Shotgun! Shotgun! Respond_!" Veld yelled in her ear.

"Chief, it's not looking good," she answered. "The same black-clad troops are back again."

" _What!? Get out of there at once!_ "

She was silent for a moment, assessing her choices. "I'm sorry, Chief," she settled on. "I can't hear you clearly. The phone seems to be out of range. I'm going to have to hang up." And then she did. She turned to the blond infantryman. "You can run, right?" He nodded. "Then get to the next car now!"

He nodded and chased after Rayleigh, who was already moving. He got to the next car and turned around, waiting for Shotgun.

Instead of crossing to the next car, she smiled. "It's my job to protect the data," she spoke quickly. "How I do it is up to me." She hit the safety release on the train cars, disconnecting the rear cars from the one the other two were on.

"Shotgun! What are you doing!?" Cloud shouted as the now faster car moved him farther away.

"It's Freya! And didn't I tell you? Its my job." With a jaunty salute, she parroted, "Cloud, I leave Doctor Rayleigh to you."

She watched the other train car speed into the distance while gravity and friction began to work on her own. Oh, and now she was trapped with three of those black-clad soldiers. She eyed the ladder next to her and grinned, escaping to the roof.

The roof of the train car only allowed for enough space to fight one on one, which was doable for the Turk, at least until the last two managed to catch her in a pincer formation. "Crap, so much for my great escape plan," she grumbled.

"Death to Shinra!" they both yelled, quite creatively.

As luck would have it, the train chose that moment to make a sudden stop. Not questioning it, she chose that moment to make a sudden jump. They obviously followed, but at least now she had room to maneuver around the two of them.

One began to cast his freaky magic again and she put a shotgun in his face, pulling the trigger.

It was that kind of battle.

The remaining soldier swung his sword at her neck, and she ducked just in time, rolling away. When she came back up, she fired her shotgun again, knocking him back ten feet. He didn't get back up.

She dusted herself off. "What a thrilling battle!" She looked around, and pondered. "Now to catch up. Where would Doctor Rayleigh and Cloud be now?"

* * *

The train came to a sudden stop, nearly knocking Cloud and the doctor off of their feet.

"The train stopped?" Cloud said aloud, a bad feeling creeping up his spine.

"Cloud, behind you!" Rayleigh yelled in warning.

A yell came from behind, "You're wide open!" He turned, raising his kodachi just in time to block the swing of the black-clad soldier who had spoke. Unfortunately, it broke the blade of the short sword in half and continued on its path across the trooper's front.

The wound was shallow, but it still hurt.

"I'll be taking Rayleigh," the black-clad soldier stated.

"Tch… like hell…" Cloud started to say.

"Looks like you're the one who's wide open!" Never before had he been so happy to see a Turk bust into a train car, guns blazing. He'd owe Shotgun- or Freya, he corrected himself- later.

While Freya faced off against the black-clad soldier, the doctor pulled him to the side and began to look at his wound, which was already sluggishly bleeding. "Good, it's not deep," she sighed, her hands glowing green with a low level heal. He looked at the doctor questioningly and she jangled her wrist. A simple one slot materia bracelet adorned it. "I can't do much, but I can at least do this."

"Thank you," he said, standing. Shotgun was already standing next to him. A cursory glance showed that the man in black was now laying in a spreading pool of his own blood. "Shotgun. You're safe."

"Of course," she replied haughtily. "Don't take me for an idiot. Come on, you're not allowed to let your guard down. I'll go check outside."

"I'm coming, too," the infantryman replied, picking up his broken kodachi. Freya looked at it and frowned.

"I don't think so. Not in that condition," she nodded to the doctor. "Stay here and protect Rayleigh." She rushed out before he could argue.

Rayleigh moved to the window of the train car and looked out. "This is bad! There are so many enemy soldiers…"

Damn Turks and their guns a-blazing… Cloud thought to himself before grabbing the large sword left behind by the now dead soldier.

* * *

Shotgun was having a moment, and it wasn't a very good one. The enemy had overwhelming numbers on their side, and it was a mixed bag of brown and black. She was about to settle on fighting by the seat of her pants and praying to make it out alive when Cloud rushed out beside her, wielding a sword that had to be way too large for him.

"Shotgun! I'm fighting, too." He took a stance and held his ground.

She groaned, not sure if he was going to be a help or a hindrance. "Cloud, just stay back."

"Kill them," one of the black-clad soldier's ordered.

Two of the Avalanche soldier's charged at them. Ignoring the Turk, Cloud intercepted them. "Raaaah!" he roared, swinging the sword wide. He took out both of them.

Freya watched him catch his breath with determination in his stance. "Amazing…" she wondered to herself, How can he wield such a huge sword?

"Death to Shinra!" the black-clad soldier yelled.

One of them charged Cloud while the other went after Freya. These were better odds than they had been before, and she found herself silently thankful that the infantryman had stepped up. Watching him wield the great sword just proved a point. He really was a natural born damage dealer.

She dodged and rolled and took shots where she could, avoiding the enemy's sword as best she could. Fighting these new soldiers was like fighting a hill with a hammer. She just had to keep knocking it one bit at a time.

As she chipped away at her enemy, she kept a surreptitious eye on Cloud, who seemed to be holding up fine for now. Back to her own enemy, she found her opening and took it, shooting straight into his chest at point blank. Once he fell, she turned to help Cloud.

The kid was doing a good job, even with the heavy weapon, and it was easy for the Turk to find an opening. With both enemies down, Cloud rested the great sword against his shoulder and exhaled. "It's over."

"Cloud, you were a real lifesaver," Freya admitted.

He shrugged. "I was desperate. I couldn't let another comrade die."

Freya blinked at that, and then smiled. "Let's just get back on the train for now.

When they boarded the train car, they were not pleased with what they found. "That Avalanche guy you took out is gone," Cloud stated the obvious.

Freya spotted the doctor, prone on the ground. "Doctor Rayleigh!" They ran to her side, and Cloud helped her stand. She didn't look injured, at least.

"Ungh…" she groaned. "There's no way he should have been able to…" she mumbled. "But that enemy soldier got up again."

"I took him down for good." The Turk couldn't hide her shock. He had taken a chest full of buckshot. "Are they immortal? That's impossible."

"The disk…" Rayleigh fretted. "He… he took it."

"What did you say!?" This was bad, and getting worse, Freya worried.

Rayleigh shook her head. "But there's no need to worry. The disk has a fingerprint lock which only I can release."

"Announcement: The track has been cleared. The train will soon resume operation."

"Well, I guess there is that," Freya conceded, not entirely pleased with what could be considered a mission failure.

* * *

Three black-clad figures met on the train tracks.

"You're late," one reprimanded. "Did they get you too?"

The one addressed laughed menacingly, displaying a sort of deranged pleasure. "Still, I got my hands on the disk."

The third smiled. "Everything went according to plan."

They then ran off into the night.

* * *

Rayleigh was safely delivered to her next waiting escort, leaving Cloud and Freya at the train station.

The infantryman cleared his throat. "Shotgun, can I ask you something?" When she didn't say he couldn't, he asked, "Why did you disconnect the train cars back there?"

The honey-blonde Turk smiled. "Because you taught me something." Cloud looked obviously confused so she continued. "How a Turk should do her job."

"I did? I don't remember doing that," he doubted, with a frown. It was unlikely that he had taught her anything of the sort, though with the Turk, who knew?

"Teehee," she giggled, "or at least something like that."

The infantryman came to the conclusion that flirtatiously secretive Turks were terrifying, and for the sake of his innocence, he probably really didn't want to know what exactly she had learned from him. Still, working with her hadn't been too bad, even if people kept shooting at them and attacking them with creepy death spells and slashing at them with swords. She was good back-up for the lowly infantryman, and he wouldn't have made it out without her.

"Hey, Freya," he said again, only this time using her name with that small smile of his, "Keep doing your best, for the sake of us soldiers."

"Of course!" she returned confidently. "You take care, too. Keep looking out for your comrades," she winked.

"Yeah," he answered with a nod. That he would definitely do.

Her PHS rang, and she answered it. "…Yes …yes …understood." She looked back at the infantryman. "I've got to get back to Headquarters."

That was to be expected. "Uh-huh, I'm due to my next assignment, too." He smirked wryly. "It's to patrol one of the Mako reactors."

Yep, that sounded as exciting as pulling weeds. "Well, then, take care!" She walked away.

"Freya." She stopped and turned. "Lets meet again sometime."

"Of course," she said with confidence. "I'm looking forward to it," she turned, walking away, calling over her shoulder. "Future SOLDIER, Cloud!"

He smiled and went his own way.

* * *

 **A week later - Wutai**

"Elfe," Fuhito said in greeting, as he approached the leader of Avalanche, "I have finished analyzing the disk's contents." He shook his head with a disdainful shrug. "Bypassing the lock was quite the task, I must say."

The brunette paused at her writing and looked up. "Ah, Rayleigh's disk. What did you find out?"

The information specialist chortled. "As expected, we now have access to all data regarding SOLDIER."

"That's wonderful," Elfe beamed, leaning forward over her desk. "Will it be helpful for Shear's anti-SOLDIER measures?"

"Of course," Fuhito returned with conviction. "But there is something I wish to ascertain first."

This wasn't something new to Elfe, in fact it was almost expected. Fuhito always had at least "one more thing" he wanted to check. "And that is?"

He wavered. "It requires Professor Hojo."

She gaped at her fellow leader. "The head of Shinra's Science Department?"

He nodded. "Furthermore, he is the man who knows the most about Sephiroth in all of Shinra."

So, it was Sephiroth that he wanted to know more about… Elfe remembered her own battle with the silver-haired general. He had been an imposing adversary. "All right," she acquiesced. "I'll begin preparations immediately."

"Splendid," Fuhito grinned.


End file.
